Conclusion Overall , our findings do not support the presence of a secondary loss of strength following an acute muscle injury , and strongly suggest that strength , on average , recovers steadily over the first 3 days post-injury
Background An immediate loss of strength follows virtually all types of muscle injury but there is debate whether the initial strength loss is maximal or if a secondary loss of strength occurs during the first 3 days post-injury .
Objective The objective of this analysis was to conduct a systematic review and meta- analysis of the research literature to determine if a secondary loss of strength occurs after an injurious initiating event .
Exercise-induced muscle damage and the repeated bout effect: evidence for cross transfer
We examined whether a prior bout of eccentric exercise in the elbow flexors provided protection against exercise-induced muscle damage in the contralateral arm . Fifteen males ( age 22.7 ± 2.1 years ; height 178.6 ± 6.8 cm , mass 75.8 ± 9.3 kg ) were r and omly assigned to two groups who performed two bouts of 60 eccentric contractions ( 30 ° /s ) separated by 2 weeks : ipsilateral ( n = 7 , both bouts performed in the same arm ) , contralateral ( n = 8 , one bout performed in each arm ) . Strength , muscle soreness and resting arm angle ( RAA ) were measured at baseline and at 1 , 24 and 48 h post exercise . Surface electromyography was recorded during both bouts of exercise . The degree of strength loss was attenuated ( p < 0.05 ) in the ipsilateral group after the second bout of eccentric exercise ( −22 cf . −3 % for bout 1 and 2 at 24 h , respectively ) . Strength loss following eccentric exercise was also attenuated ( p < 0.05 ) at 24 h in the contralateral group ( −30 cf . 13 % for bout 1 and 2 , respectively ) . Muscle soreness ( ≈34 cf 19 mm ) and change in RAA ( ≈5 cf . 3 % ) were also lower following the second bout of eccentric exercise ( p < 0.05 ) , although there was no difference in the overall change in these values between groups . Median frequency ( MF ) was decreased by 31 % between bouts , with no difference between groups . Data support observations that the repeated bout effect transfers to the opposite ( untrained ) limb . The similar reduction in MF between bouts for the two groups provides evidence for a central ly mediated , neural adaptation
Conclusion Overall , our findings do not support the presence of a secondary loss of strength following an acute muscle injury , and strongly suggest that strength , on average , recovers steadily over the first 3 days post-injury
Background An immediate loss of strength follows virtually all types of muscle injury but there is debate whether the initial strength loss is maximal or if a secondary loss of strength occurs during the first 3 days post-injury .
Objective The objective of this analysis was to conduct a systematic review and meta- analysis of the research literature to determine if a secondary loss of strength occurs after an injurious initiating event .