Abstract
ContextMuscle damage and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) can occur following intense exercise. Various modalities have been studied to improve blood lactate accumulation, which is a primary reason for DOMS. It has been well established that active recovery facilitates blood lactate removal more rapidly that passive recovery due to the pumping action of the muscle. The pedal pump is a manual lymphatic technique used in osteopathic manipulative medicine to increase lymphatic drainage throughout the body. Pedal pump has been shown to increase lymphatic flow and improve immunity. This may improve circulation and improve clearance of metabolites post-exercise.ObjectiveThis study compared the use of pedal pump lymphatic technique to passive supine recovery following maximal exercise.Methods17 subjects (male n = 10, age 23 ± 3.01; female n = 7, age 24 ± 1.8), performed a maximal volume O2 test (VO2 max) using a Bruce protocol, followed by a recovery protocol using either pedal pump technique or supine passive rest for 10 min, followed by sitting for 10 min. Outcome measures included blood lactate concentration (BL), heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and VO2. Subjects returned on another day to repeat the VO2 max test to perform the other recovery protocol. All outcomes were measured at rest, within 1- minute post-peak exercise, and at minutes 4, 7, 10 and 20 of the recovery protocols. A 2 × 6 repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare outcome measures (p ≤ 0.05).ResultsNo significant differences were found in VO2, HR, or SBP between any of the recovery protocols. There was no significant difference in BL concentrations for recovery at minutes 4, 7, or 10 (p > 0.05). However, the pedal pump recovery displayed significantly lower BL concentrations at minute 20 of recovery (p = 0.04).ConclusionThe pedal pump significantly decreased blood lactate concentrations following intense exercise at recovery minute 20. The use of manual lymphatic techniques in exercise recovery should be investigated further.
Highlights
Skeletal muscle energy consumption increases dramatically when going from rest to intense exercise [1, 2]
No significant differences were found in VO2, heart rate (HR), or systolic blood pressure (SBP) between any of the recovery protocols
No changes were found in blood lactate concentration (BL) levels during recovery between pedal pump condition and resting condition at minute 1 (9.5 ± 3.8 mmol vs 10.5 ± 2.5 mmol; p = 0.5), minute 4, (9.8 ± 4.5 mmol vs 9.8 ± 3.2 mmol; p = 0.6), minute 7, (2.0 ± 1.1 mmol vs 2.3 ± 1.7 mmol; p = 0.07), or minute 10 (2.0 ± 1.1 mmol vs 2.3 ± 1.7 mmol; p = 0.5)
Summary
Skeletal muscle energy consumption increases dramatically when going from rest to intense exercise [1, 2]. This high intensity exercise exceeds aerobic capacity and the ATP utilized for energy is derived from anaerobic metabolism. Accumulation of lactic acid can be in part the cause of both acute and delayed muscle pain and attenuated muscle strength in the recovery period [1, 2]. This condition is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) [3]. Post exercise pain and decreases in muscle strength during the recovery period can be debilitating, affect performance and negatively impact athletes’ and patients’ lives and discourage future exercise
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
