Superficial Muscles Research Articles

SEMG-Based Trunk Compensation Detection in Rehabilitation Training.

Stroke patients often use trunk to compensate for impaired upper limb motor function during upper limb rehabilitation training, which results in a reduced rehabilitation training effect. Detecting trunk compensations can improve the effect of rehabilitation training. This study investigates the feasibility of a surface electromyography-based trunk compensation detection (sEMG-bTCD) method. Five healthy subjects and nine stroke subjects with cognitive and comprehension skills were recruited to participate in the experiments. The sEMG signals from nine superficial trunk muscles were collected during three rehabilitation training tasks (reach-forward-back, reach-side-to-side, and reach-up-to-down motions) without compensation and with three common trunk compensations [lean-forward (LF), trunk rotation (TR), and shoulder elevation (SE)]. Preprocessing like filtering, active segment detection was performed and five time domain features (root mean square, variance, mean absolute value (MAV), waveform length, and the fourth order autoregressive model coefficient) were extracted from the collected sEMG signals. Excellent TCD performance was achieved in healthy participants by using support vector machine (SVM) classifier (LF: accuracy = 94.0%, AUC = 0.97, F1 = 0.94; TR: accuracy = 95.8%, AUC = 0.99, F1 = 0.96; SE: accuracy = 100.0%, AUC = 1.00, F1 = 1.00). By using SVM classifier, TCD performance in stroke participants was also obtained (LF: accuracy = 74.8%, AUC = 0.90, F1 = 0.73; TR: accuracy = 67.1%, AUC = 0.85, F1 = 0.71; SE: accuracy = 91.3%, AUC = 0.98, F1 = 0.90). Compared with the methods based on cameras or inertial sensors, better detection performance was obtained in both healthy and stroke participants. The results demonstrated the feasibility of the sEMG-bTCD method, and it helps to prompt the stroke patients to correct their incorrect posture, thereby improving the effectiveness of rehabilitation training.

Optimal medicinal cupping points selection for asthma disease via graph colouring: a preliminary study

Medicinal cupping is a traditional therapy which used by applying a cup on acu-points or cupping points and the pressure inside the cup is reduced so that the skin and superficial muscle layer is drawn into and held in the cup. Since all diseases and pains have their specific area to be cupped, most cupping practitioners usually recognize the cupping points based upon the disease and the patient’s complaints. Hence, they will randomly choose the points upon request due to the money constraint. However, there is no mathematical approach on guaranteeing the handy method is optimized. Thus, in this paper, a graph model is proposed on finding the optimal number of cupping points for asthma disease via graph colouring approach. This mathematical model will further benefit to the biomathematics and medical fields, especially to the industrial cupping practitioners.

Contractile properties of superficial skeletal muscle affect postural control in healthy young adults: A test of the rambling and trembling hypothesis.

The rambling and trembling analysis separates the center of pressure (COP) fluctuations into two components: rambling (supraspinal contribution) and trembling (muscle stiffness / reflexive properties contribution). We examined whether the trembling component is correlated to the contractile properties (muscle stiffness and contraction time) of lower limb superficial skeletal muscles to experimentally test the rambling and trembling hypothesis. We hypothesized that muscle stiffness and contraction time, would be: (a) more correlated with; and (b) have a greater impact on the trembling component compared to the rambling component. Thirty-two healthy young adults were recruited for the study and tensiomyography was used to assess mechanical muscle responses to a single electrical stimulus to calculate muscle stiffness and contraction time based on radial muscle belly displacement measurements of lower limb muscles unilaterally. Moreover, upright postural control was assessed using a force plate to record ground reaction forces and moments and calculate the COP fluctuations during two 30 seconds trials. From the COP fluctuations, rambling and trembling time series were extracted, and all fluctuation time series were described using a number of different time-domain and frequency-domain parameters in both the anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions. Our results demonstrated that both muscle stiffness and contraction time were moderately correlated with time-domain and frequency-domain parameters of the trembling component, as compared with those of the rambling component which was not as well correlated. Moreover, they also predicted the trembling component better. Overall, these results imply that postural control during quiet stance is, in part, related to intrinsic muscle stiffness in the lower extremities. Moreover, we showed that the rambling and trembling hypothesis is effective in separating postural sway fluctuations during upright posture to extract the contributions of muscle stiffness / reflexive properties (trembling), and likely the supraspinal contribution (rambling).

Effects of in ovo injection of prebiotics and synbiotics on the productive performance and microstructural features of the superficial pectoral muscle in broiler chickens

The aim of the study was to compare the effects of 2 prebiotics and 2 synbiotics injected in ovo on productivity parameters, quality, and microstructure of the superficial pectoral muscle in 35-day-old broiler chickens. On day 12 of incubation, 9,000 eggs Ross 308 were randomly divided into 5 experimental groups treated with different bioactives in ovo injected: C, control with physiological saline; PI, with 1.760mg inulin; PB, with 0.528mg of commercial prebiotic Bi2tos; SI, with 1.760mg inulin and 1,000 CFU Lactococcus lactis spp. lactis IBB SL1; SB, with 0.528mg Bi2tos and 1,000 CFU Lactococcus lactis spp. cremoris IBB SC1. The synbiotic solution contained 20μl bacterial suspension and 180μl prebiotic solution. For productive parameters and further tests ten male birds for each experimental group were used. The birds were slaughtered on day 35 of age. At slaughter, samples of the left pectoral muscles were taken and preserved by freezing in liquid nitrogen. The pH and color of the meat were evaluated at 45 min and 24 h post-mortem. Water holding capacity (WHC) was measured and expressed as the percentage of free water in meat. Microscopic specimens were analysed using MultiScan software for the measurement of the percentage of oxidative and glycolytic fibres and mean diameter of the muscle fibres. In ovo injection of prebiotics Bi2tos had a positive effect on body weight. In prebiotic group (PI) a negative impact on hatchability was observed. Prebiotics and synbiotics had no influence on the yield of the carcass and pectoral muscle. Bioactive compounds had a significant effect on the quality of meat parameters such as: pH 24h (PI and PB group), L* 45' (SI and SB group), and WHC (groups PB, SI, and SB). The analysis of the enzymatic profile showed a significant increase in the percentage of glycolytic fibres in the pectoral muscle from chicken treated with a synbiotic with the addition of inulin (group SI).

Comparative evaluation of the masticatory muscleS activity with CAD/CAM versus conventional complete denture using electromyography

Purpose: To evaluate in-vivo the effect of CAD/CAM constructed dentures on the masticatory muscles activity using electromyography in comparison to conventionally constructed dentures.Materials and Methods: Fourteen completely edentulous patients were randomly allocated to two equal groups. Patients in the first group received conventionally constructed complete dentures and patients in the second group received complete dentures constructed using CAD/CAM technology. After 30 days of denture use the anterior temporalis and superficial masseter muscles activity were measured by EMG. A cross over was performed for patients with conventional denture to CAD/CAM and vice versa and the dentures were used for further 30 days, after which measurements of anterior temporalis and superficial masseter muscles activity were taken using EMG. Electromyographic data was recorded and analyzed, mean values were compared by independent t-test to compare between the two groups as regard to muscle activity. Results: There was a significant difference in the activity of the masseter muscles and the anterior temporalis muscles for the patients received CAD/CAM denture in comparison to those received the conventional denture, after 30 days of denture use (p < 0.05). Conclusion: CAD/CAM constructed complete dentures produced higher muscle activity if compared to conventionally constructed complete dentures.

Effects of clenbuterol administration on mitochondrial morphology and its regulatory proteins in rat skeletal muscle.

Clenbuterol induces a slow‐to‐fast fiber type transition in skeletal muscle. This muscle fiber transition decreased mitochondrial oxidative capacity and respiratory function. We hypothesized that the clenbuterol‐mediated reduction in oxidative capacity is associated with the alteration in mitochondrial morphology. To verify this hypothesis, we examined whether clenbuterol alters mitochondrial morphology and mitochondrial regulatory proteins in rat skeletal muscle. Clenbuterol was administered to rats via drinking water (30 mg/L) for 3 weeks. Myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform composition, mitochondrial morphology, and fusion and fission regulatory protein levels in deep region and superficial region in tibialis anterior (TA) muscles were assessed. Clenbuterol induced the fiber type transition from slow to fast in both the regions of TA. The levels of optic atrophy protein 1, mitofusin 2, and mitochondrial fission 1, but not of dynamin‐related protein 1, significantly decreased in deep and superficial muscles after clenbuterol administration (P < 0.01). Also, observation using the transmission electron microscopy showed a decrease in mitochondrial volume (P < 0.05) and an increase in proportion of continuous or interacting mitochondria across Z‐lines (P < 0.05). We showed that clenbuterol administration induces a transition in the muscle fiber type composition toward fast phenotype and causes alterations in mitochondrial morphology with a concomitant decrease in mitochondrial fusion and fission regulatory protein levels. These mitochondrial morphological alterations may influence deleterious effects on skeletal muscle metabolism.

The effect of chronic, non-specific low back pain on superficial lumbar muscle activity: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

IntroductionChronic, non-specific low back pain is a major global cause of disability. One factor which might potentially contribute to ongoing pain is maladaptive variation in the level of activity in...

Assessment of commodities fishing in the trade network of the city of Sumy

Introduction. To date, one of the priority tasks of the agro-industrial complex of Ukraine is to provide the population with benign and safe environmental and veterinary-sanitary products of animal products. Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing industries in the rapidly developing agro-industrial complex. The mentioned industry is able to provide the population with high quality nutritious and dietary fishery products in a relatively short period. Fish products replenish the human diet with essential amino acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, trace elements and other nutrients to meet the needs of the body. But important indicators are the quality and safety of fish and fish products. The use of hazardous fish products by humans can lead to human diseases. Therefore, research on determining the safety and quality of fish remains an important link.&#x0D; The goal of the work. The purpose of our research was to investigate commercial fish sold in the Sumy trade network and to carry out its veterinary and sanitary evaluation.&#x0D; Materials and methods of research. These studies were conducted under the conditions of the Department of Veterinary Expertise, Microbiology, Zohygiene and Safety and Quality of Livestock Products of Sumy National Agrarian University and in Sumy Regional State Laboratory of the State Consumer Service.&#x0D; Conducted research on commercial fish, which came to the sale in the trade network of the city of Sumy, namely in supermarkets, specialized stores and agri-food markets. Fresh, dried and frozen fish were studied.. &#x0D; Results of research and discussion. As a result of the study of the selected samples was found in live fish, namely the fathead, characteristic signs of postodiplastomosis. This disease manifested itself as small black spots on the body of a fish. It was also revealed in the study of carp in two specimens that the chronic course of aeromonosis was manifested by the presence of fissured ulcers on the body of the fish. Since the detection of the disease did not spoil the product indicators of fish, then all living fish are allowed to sell.&#x0D; When examining dried fish, no deviations from the requirements for dried fish were found in the submitted samples. All fish are identified as benign and admitted for sale.&#x0D; Studies of fresh frozen fish (hake) revealed the presence in the muscle tissue of the nematode Contracoecum squalii&#x0D; Affected fish are characterized by an increased content of microorganisms in the deep and superficial muscle layers, a doubtful or negative reaction to peroxidase, a doubtful or substandard reaction with a Nesler reagent, a doubtful or substandard reaction with sulfuric acid, acidification.&#x0D; Conclusions and prospects for further research: 1. In a study of 323 samples of live, dried, frozen fish, which entered the trade network in Sumy, it was found that 8 (2.47%) samples did not correspond to good-quality fish.2. Signs of diseases characteristic of aeromonosis (2 specimens), postodiplastomosis (1 specimen) and contracenosis (5 specimens) were established in the selected fish samples.3. A batch of hake (170 kg) in which the pathogen Contracoecum squalii was detected is not allowed for sale and is intended for technical disposal.&#x0D; In the future, it is planned to develop and implement a permanent monitoring system for the quality and safety of fish and fishery products that are commercially available.

P.73Correlation of gluteus medius muscle activities at walk and trot with myopathy changes on biopsies of the exact same locations in horses without clinical signs of type 1 polysaccharide storage myopathy

In the native Austrian breed of Haflinger horses, abnormal polysaccharide accumulations and signs of myopathy in skeletal muscle are commonly caused by type 1 polysaccharide storage myopathy (T1PSSM), based on the genetic mutation of the glycogen synthase 1 (GYS1) gene. In the absence of clinical signs, mild histological myopathy changes in muscle fibres on biopsy as well as changes in the gluteus muscle activity pattern could be documented in Haflinger horses. Surface electromyography (sEMG) of the gluteus medius muscle during walk and trot as well as superficial muscle biopsies in the exact same location taken immediately after sEMG measurements are available of 13 Haflinger horses with homozygous non-affected status (GG, n=5) and heterozygous affected status (GA, n=6) of the GYS1 gene. Thus the aim of the present study is to investigate the correlation between sEMG activity parameters and histology scores for myopathy, to elucidate which histology changes are potentially useful to quantify the functional effect. Parameters used for sEMG signal analysis comprising frequency and amplitude information were the crossings per second (C/s) of the signal through the baseline and the 25, 50, and 75 percentile lines of the sEMG signal at the same location during the same gait. Of the biopsies of the same horses at the same location taken after the sEMG measurement myopathy changes were scored for anguloid atrophy, necrosis or macrophages, central nuclei, and fiber size variation, and numbers of fibers with characteristic cPAS inclusions were expressed as percentage of total fibers counted. There was a significant negative correlation between C/s parameters and myopathy scores over all horses; however, this was not significant within the GA horses alone for any of the myopathy characteristics documented. This may indicate that the functional relevance of the histology parameters in these clinically not affected horses is more of a qualitative than of a quantitative nature.

Muscle Synergies in Response to Biofeedback-Driven Gait Adaptations in Children With Cerebral Palsy.

BackgroundChildren with cerebral palsy (CP) often show impaired selective motor control (SMC) that induces limitations in motor function. Children with CP can improve aspects of pathological gait in an immediate response to visual biofeedback. It is not known, however, how these gait adaptations are achieved at the neural level, nor do we know the extent of SMC plasticity in CP.AimInvestigate the underlying SMC and changes that may occur when gait is adapted with biofeedback.MethodsTwenty-three ambulatory children with CP and related (hereditary) forms of spastic paresis (Aged: 10.4 ± 3.1, 6–16 years, M: 16/F: 9) were challenged with real-time biofeedback to improve step length, knee extension, and ankle power while walking on an instrumented treadmill in a virtual reality environment. The electromyograms of eight superficial muscles of the leg were analyzed and synergies were further decomposed using non-negative matrix factorization (NNMF) using 1 to 5 synergies, to quantify SMC. Total variance accounted for (tVAF) was used as a measure of synergy complexity. An imposed four synergy solution was investigated further to compare similarity in weightings and timing patterns of matched paired synergies between baseline and biofeedback trials.ResultsDespite changes in walking pattern, changes in synergies were limited. The number of synergies required to explain at least 90% of muscle activation increased significantly, however, the change in measures of tVAF1 from baseline (0.75 ± 0.08) were less than ±2% between trials. In addition, within-subject similarity of synergies to baseline walking was high (>0.8) across all biofeedback trials.ConclusionThese results suggest that while gait may be adapted in an immediate response, SMC as quantified by synergy analysis is perhaps more rigidly impaired in CP. Subtle changes in synergies were identified; however, it is questionable if these are clinically meaningful at the level of an individual. Adaptations may be limited in the short term, and further investigation is essential to establish if long term training using biofeedback leads to adapted SMC.

Correlation between Changes in the Transverse Relaxation Time and Electromyographic Measurements of the Superficial Masseter and Temporal Muscles.

We analyzed the correlations between the T2 shift and integrated electromyographic (iEMG) values in the masseter and temporal muscles. Six healthy adults engaged in a clenching task over two durations at various bite forces. We evaluated the mean T2 shift per voxel and assessed their correlations with iEMG using a linear mixed model. The regression coefficients were different for each muscle type, similar for the left and right sides, and decreased upon doubling duration.

The Greater Occipital Nerve and Obliquus Capitis Inferior Muscle: Anatomical Interactions and Implications for Occipital Pain Syndromes.

The compression/injury of the greater occipital nerve has been identified as a trigger of occipital headaches. Several compression points have been described, but the morphology of the myofascial unit between the greater occipital nerve and the obliquus capitis inferior muscle has not been studied yet. Twenty fresh cadaveric heads were dissected, and the greater occipital nerve was tracked from its emergence to its passage around the obliquus capitis inferior. The intersection point between the greater occipital nerve and the obliquus capitis inferior, and the length and thickness of the obliquus capitis inferior, were measured. In addition, the nature of the interaction and whether the nerve passed through the muscle were also noted. All nerves passed either around the muscle loosely (type I), incorporated in the dense superficial muscle fascia (type II), or directly through a myofascial sleeve within the muscle (type III). The obliquus capitis inferior length was 5.60 ± 0.46 cm. The intersection point between the obliquus capitis inferior and the greater occipital nerve was 6.80 ± 0.68 cm caudal to the occiput and 3.56 ± 0.36 cm lateral to the midline. The thickness of the muscle at its intersection with the greater occipital nerve was 1.20 ± 0.25 cm. Loose, tight, and intramuscular connections were found in seven, 31, and two specimens, respectively. The obliquus capitis inferior remains relatively immobile during traumatic events, like whiplash injuries, placing strain as a tethering point on the greater occipital nerve. Better understanding of the anatomical relationship between the greater occipital nerve and the obliquus capitis inferior can be clinically useful in cases of posttraumatic occipital headaches for diagnostic and operative planning purposes.

The Critical Role of Development of the Transversus Abdominis in the Prevention and Treatment of Low Back Pain

The Critical Role of Development of the Transversus Abdominis in the Prevention and Treatment of Low Back Pain

Therapeutic exercise based on biobehavioral approach for the rehabilitation of a radial nerve injury after surgical removal of a schwannoma: a case report.

Schwannoma is a benign tumor located in the Schwann cells of the nerves. A 36-year-old white man underwent surgery after being diagnosed with radial nerve schwannoma of the upper right extremity between the triceps brachii muscle and brachioradialis muscle, after which a complete axonotmesis of the aforementioned nerve trunk occurred. The symptomatology presented by the patient included a loss of both motor and sensory function of the fingers, hand, and right forearm. The treatment was a biobehavioral physiotherapy approach that included therapeutic exercise, neuro-orthopedic manual physical therapy, therapeutic education, and sensitivity retraining. The biobehavioral approach in physiotherapy includes a multimodal approach that encompasses biological aspects, along with cognitive-evaluating and motivational-affective components. Two weekly sessions were held for 6 months, resulting in a total of 48 sessions. Using multimodal physiotherapy based on a biobehavioral approach, after 6 months of treatment, the symptoms improved. The motor function of the upper limb improved considerably due to the recovery of increased activity of the superficial musculature dependent on the radial nerve. However, the functions dependent on deep forearm and hand musculature recovered to a lesser extent. At the sensory level, the retraining of sensitivity allowed the patient to regain an important sensitivity. This case report explains the treatment used and the findings obtained, given a large percentage of the functionality that had been lost was recovered.

Effects of dietary Antrodia cinnamomea fermented product supplementation on antioxidation, anti-inflammation, and lipid metabolism in broiler chickens.

ObjectiveThis study was investigated the effects of dietary supplementation of Antrodia cinnamomea fermented product on modulation of antioxidation, anti-inflammation, and lipid metabolism in broilers.MethodsFunctional compounds and in vitro antioxidant capacity were detected in wheat bran (WB) solid-state fermented by Antrodia cinnamomea for 16 days (FAC). In animal experiment, 400 d-old broiler chickens were allotted into 5 groups fed control diet, and control diet replaced with 5% WB, 10% WB, 5% FAC, and 10% FAC respectively. Growth performance, intestinal microflora, serum antioxidant enzymes and fatty acid profiles in pectoral superficial muscle were measured.ResultsPretreatment with hot water extracted fermented product significantly reduced chicken peripheral blood mononuclear cells death induced by lipopolysaccharide and 2,2′-Azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride. Birds received 5% and 10% FAC had higher weight gain than WB groups. Cecal coliform and lactic acid bacteria were diminished and increased respectively while diet replaced with FAC. For FAC supplemented groups, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity increased at 35 days only, with catalase elevated at 21 and 35 day. Regarding serum lipid parameters, 10% FAC replacement significantly reduced triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein level in chickens. For fatty acid composition in pectoral superficial muscle of 35-d-old chickens, 5% and 10% FAC inclusion had birds with significantly lower saturated fatty acids as compared with 10% WB group. Birds on the 5% FAC diet had a higher degree of unsaturation, followed by 10% FAC, control, 5% WB, and 10% WB.ConclusionIn conclusion, desirable intestinal microflora in chickens obtaining FAC may be attributed to the functional metabolites detected in final fermented product. Moreover, antioxidant effects observed in FAC were plausibly exerted in terms of improved antioxidant enzymes activities, increased unsaturated degree of fatty acids in chicken muscle and better weight gain in FAC inclusion groups, indicating that FAC possesses promising favorable mechanisms worthy to be developed.

The Effects of Dry Needling on the Superficial Neck Musculature

The Effects of Dry Needling on the Superficial Neck Musculature

In vivo muscle morphology comparison in post-stroke survivors using ultrasonography and diffusion tensor imaging

Skeletal muscle architecture significantly influences the performance capacity of a muscle. A DTI-based method has been recently considered as a new reference standard to validate measurement of muscle structure in vivo. This study sought to quantify muscle architecture parameters such as fascicle length (FL), pennation angle (PA) and muscle thickness (tm) in post-stroke patients using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and to quantitatively compare the differences with 2D ultrasonography (US) and DTI. Muscle fascicles were reconstructed to examine the anatomy of the medial gastrocnemius, posterior soleus and tibialis anterior in seven stroke survivors using US- and DTI-based techniques, respectively. By aligning the US and DTI coordinate system, DTI reconstructed muscle fascicles at the same scanning plane of the US data can be identified. The architecture parameters estimated based on two imaging modalities were further compared. Significant differences were observed for PA and tm between two methods. Although mean FL was not significantly different, there were considerable intra-individual differences in FL and PA. On the individual level, parameters measured by US agreed poorly with those from DTI in both deep and superficial muscles. The significant differences in muscle parameters we observed suggested that the DTI-based method seems to be a better method to quantify muscle architecture parameters which can provide important information for treatment planning and to personalize a computational muscle model.

Effects of Photobiomodulation on Superficial Sensitivity and Muscle Activity of Individuals With Myelomeningocele

Effects of Photobiomodulation on Superficial Sensitivity and Muscle Activity of Individuals With Myelomeningocele

Anatomy and histology of the rabbit common calcanean tendon.

Despite the great progress in the field of tendon injuries and chronic tendinopathies in recent years, treatment of these conditions is still challenging. Research utilising animal models is crucial for further advancement in tendon research, with the rabbit being a commonly used species in this field. The objective of the present study was to comprehensively describe the macro- and microanatomy of the common calcanean tendon (tendo Achillei), together with associated structures. Eight female New Zealand rabbits were subjected to anatomical dissection and histologic analysis, revealing significant species-specific features. The soleus muscle presented a thin, spindle shape with no tendon of insertion and attached directly to the lateral gastrocnemius muscle. Therefore, it does not contribute to the formation of the common calcanean tendon. The calcaneal tendon of the semitendinosus muscle was identified as a strong tendinous band at the medial side of the medial gastrocnemius muscle and the superficial digital flexor muscle and tendon distally. The saphenous artery was accompanied by the medial saphenous vein and characteristic accessory medial saphenous vein. The complex structure of the paratendinous connective tissue is described, with the paratenon being contiguous with the epitenon of the individual tendons and epimysium of associated muscles. At the level of the calcaneal tuber, the retromalleolar fat pad was identified, adhering to the cranial surface of the conjoint gastrocnemius tendon. Histologic studies confirmed the presence of the subtendinous calcaneal bursa of superficial digital flexor tendon and the bursa of calcaneal tendon.

Effects of Pre- and Post-Exercise Cold-Water Immersion Therapy on Passive Muscle Stiffness.

Cold-water immersion (CWI) has become a popular preventive, regenerative and performance-enhancing intervention in various sports. However, its effects on soft tissue, including changes of intramuscular stiffness, are poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of CWI on muscle stiffness. Thirty healthy participants were included and divided into the three following groups (n = 10): 1) post-ESU group: exercise and CWI (post-exercise set-up); 2) control group: exercise without CWI (control condition); 3) pre-ESU group: CWI alone (pre-exercise set-up). Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography was conducted to assess tissue stiffness (shear wave velocity, SWV). Values obtained at resting conditions (baseline, t0) were compared to values post-exercise (t1, for post-ESU group and control group), post-CWI (t2, for post-ESU group and pre-ESU group; rest for control group) and to 60-min follow-up time (t3, for all groups). Data were assessed in superficial and deep muscle tissue (rectus femoris muscle, RF; vastus intermedius muscle, VI). For the post-ESU group (CWI post-exercise), there was no significant difference between the time points of measurements: exercise (t1: RF: 1.63 m/s; VI: 1.54 m/s), CWI (t2: RF: 1.63 m/s; VI: 1.53 m/s) and at 60-min follow-up (t3:RF: 1.72 m/s; VI: 1.61 m/s). In the control group, a significant decrease of SWV was found between baseline conditions at t0 and post-exercise (t1) at VI (VI: 1.37 m/s; p = 0.004; RF: 1.59 m/s; p = 0.084). For t2 and t3, no further significant changes were detected. Regarding the pre-exercise set-up (pre-ESU group), a significant decrease in SWV from baseline to t2 in VI (1.60 m/s to 1.49 m/s; VI: p = 0.027) was found. This study shows varying influences of CWI on muscle stiffness. Overall, we did not detect any significant effects of CWI on muscle stiffness post-exercise. Muscle stiffness-related effects of CWI differ in the context of a pre- or post-exercise condition and have to be considered in the implementation of CWI to ensure its potential preventive and regenerative benefits.