Thermal Pain Perception After Aerobic Exercise

Abstract

Ruble SB, Hoffman MD, Shepanski MA, Valic Z, Buckwalter JB, Clifford PS. Thermal pain perception after aerobic exercise. Objective To examine thermal pain perception before, 5 minutes after, and 30 minutes after 30 minutes of treadmill exercise at 75% of maximal oxygen uptake (V̇ o 2max). Design Repeated-measures. Setting Sports science laboratory. Participants Convenience sample of 14 healthy male and female volunteers (mean age ± standard deviation, 32±3y). Interventions Sensory thresholds, pain thresholds, and pain ratings to hot and cold stimuli were measured before and after 30 minutes of treadmill exercise at 75% of V̇ o 2max. The hot and cold stimuli were delivered by using a thermode placed on the thenar eminence of the nondominant hand. Thermal sensory and pain thresholds were determined during continuous ramps in temperature of the thermode. Main outcome measures Pain ratings were measured on a visual analog scale at 10-second intervals over 2 minutes of thermal pain stimulation. Results There were no significant changes in thermal sensitivity, pain thresholds, or pain ratings for either heat or cold after 30 minutes of exercise at 75% of V̇ o 2max. Conclusions Pain perception to thermal stimuli was unaltered after 30 minutes of exercise at 75% of V̇ o 2max, an intensity and duration of exercise previously shown to alter pain perception to electric and mechanical stimuli.