Efeitos da dor experimental no desempenho dos músculos flexores do cotovelo após oito semanas de treinamento de força: um estudo piloto / Effects of experimental pain on elbow flexor muscles performance after eight weeks of strength training: a pilot study

INTRODUÇÃO: O treinamento de força tem sido recomendado na reabilitação clínica, bem como no condicionamento físico de atletas. Não é incomum, em ambos os casos, a presença de dor durante a prática; no entanto, até o momento, não há informação consensual em relação aos efeitos da dor muscular aguda nas adaptações ao treinamento de força. OBJETIVO: O objetivo deste estudo piloto foi avaliar os efeitos da dor induzida experimentalmente na adaptação da força muscular após um período de treinamento de 8 semanas. MÉTODO: O estudo incluiu cinco voluntários saudáveis do sexo masculino e não treinados. Os participantes foram submetidos a um protocolo de treinamento de força (3x/semana durante 8 semanas) para os músculos flexores do cotovelo. A dor muscular aguda foi induzida no início de cada sessão de treinamento, por meio de infusão intramuscular de 2,5 ml de solução salina hipertônica (6%) no ventre do músculo bíceps braquial. A força dinâmica máxima (1RM) e a contração isométrica voluntária máxima (CIVM) foram medidas antes e após quatro e oito semanas de treinamento. RESULTADOS: A força dinâmica máxima aumentou, em média, 37,3% e 78,4% após quatro e oito semanas, respectivamente. Entretanto, pouca ou nenhuma diferença foi encontrada na CIVM (-1,7% e -3,0% após quatro e oito semanas, respectivamente). CONCLUSÃO: Após 24 sessões de treinamento de força, com dor muscular aguda induzida a cada sessão, voluntários saudáveis aumentaram sua capacidade de produzir força dinâmica máxima em mais de 75%; entretanto, a força isométrica apresentou apenas pequenas variações negativas.

INTRODUCTION: Strength training has been recommended in clinical rehabilitation, as well as in the physical conditioning of athletes. It is not uncommon, in both cases, the presence of pain during practice; however, to date, there is no consensual information about the effects of acute muscle pain on strength training adaptations. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the effects of experimentally induced pain on muscle strength adaptation after an 8-week training period. METHOD: The study included five untrained, healthy male volunteers. Participants were submitted to a strength training protocol (3x/week for 8 weeks) for the elbow flexor muscles. Acute muscle pain was induced at the beginning of each training session through an intramuscular infusion of 2.5 ml of hypertonic saline (6%) into the biceps brachii muscle belly. Maximal dynamic strength (1RM) and maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) were measured at pre- and after four and eight weeks of training. RESULTS: Maximal dynamic strength increased, on average, 37.3% and 78.4% after four and eight weeks, respectively. However, little, if any, difference was found in MVIC (-1.7% and ­ 3.0% after four and eight weeks, respectively). CONCLUSION: After 24 strength training sessions, with acute muscle pain induced every session, healthy volunteers increased their ability to produce maximal dynamic strength by more than 75%; however, isometric strength presented only small negative changes.

Um estudo de caso sobre treinamento isocinético: o esforço máximo é suficiente para o aumento de força? / A case study of isokinetic training: is maximal effort enough to increase strength?

INTRODUÇÃO: Dinamômetro isocinético é um equipamento eletrônico e mecânico, capaz de medir o torque gerado por um determinado segmento, bem como a potência e estimar fadiga, observando-se a variação do torque ao longo tempo. Este dispositivo também controla a velocidade do movimento angular, seja ele gerado por uma contração excêntrica ou concêntrica. Este tipo de equipamento tem sido utilizado tanto para avaliação como para treinamento de força. OBJETIVO: Verificar o efeito do treinamento de força, realizado exclusivamente no dinamômetro isocinético, na capacidade de gerar torque isométrico. MÉTODO: 2 homens, sedentários, saudáveis com idade de 23 e 24 anos realizaram 16 sessões de treinamento de força (sempre em esforço máximo e no modo concêntrico utilizando-se um dinamômetro isocinético) para os músculos flexores da articulação do cotovelo do membro dominante. As sessões foram compostas por um treinamento de quatro séries de oito repetições em uma amplitude de movimento de 130º, com velocidade fixada em 45º/s. As avaliações de contração isométrica voluntária máxima (CIVM) a 90º de flexão da articulação do cotovelo foram realizadas na primeira, oitava e décima sexta sessão. Espessura dos músculos flexores da articulação do cotovelo também foi medida, com ultrassonografia, nas mesmas sessões em que o torque máximo isométrico foi medido. RESULTADOS: Não houve diferença significativa no ganho de torque tam pouco na espessura muscular, ao final do treinamento. CONCLUSÃO: Treinamento de força, exclusivamente realizado no modo concêntrico no dinamômetro isocinético não provocou aumento da capacidade de gerar força isométrica, tam pouco aumento da espessura muscular. [AU]

INTRODUCTION: Isokinetic dynamometer is an electromechanical device that allows measuring the torque of a segment, as well as estimating power and fatigue by observing the variation of torque over time. This device also controls the speed of the angular movement, whether it is generated by an eccentric or concentric contraction. This equipment is utilized for both evaluation and strength training. OBJECTIVE: Verify the effects of strength training performed on an isokinetic dynamometer on the capacity to generate isometric torque. METHOD: Two healthy, sedentary men, aged 23 e 24 performed 16 strength training sessions (always at maximum effort) for elbow joint flexor muscles of the dominant limb. The sessions were composed by a training of four sets of eight repetitions in a range of movement of 130°, at 45º/s. The evaluations of maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) in a 90º of elbow flexion was realized in the first, eighth and sixteenth sessions. Thickness of the flexor muscles of the elbow joint was also measured with ultrasonography at the same sessions in which the maximum isometric torque was measured. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in torque gain or in muscle thickness at the end of the training protocol. CONCLUSION: Strength training, exclusively performed in the concentric mode on an isokinetic dynamometer did not caused an increase in the capacity to generate isometric torque and did not change muscle thickness. [AU]

Aerobic training in aquatic environment improves the position sense of stroke patients: A randomized clinical trial

AIMS: (Stroke patients often present sensory-motor alterations and less aerobic capacity. Joint position sense, which is crucial for balance and gait control, is also affected in stroke patients). To compare the effect of two exercise training protocols (walking in deep water and on a treadmill) on the knee position sense of stroke patients. METHODS: This study was designed as a randomized controlled clinical trial. Twelve adults, who suffered a stroke at least one year prior to the start of the study, were randomly assigned to one of two groups: 1) pool group submitted to aerobic deep water walking training; and 2) the treadmill group which was submitted to aerobic walk on a treadmill. Measurements: The position sense, absolute error and variable error, of the knee joint was evaluated prior to and after nine weeks of aerobic training. RESULTS: The pool group presented smaller absolute (13.9o versus 6.1o; p < 0.05) and variable (9.2o versus 3.9o; p < 0.05) errors after nine-weeks gait training than the treadmill group. CONCLUSIONS: Nine-week aerobic exercise intervention in aquatic environment improved precision in the position sense of the knee joint of stroke patients, suggesting a possible application in a rehabilitation program.(AU)

The effect of gait training and exercise programs on gait and balance in post-stroke patients / O efeito do treinamento de marcha e programas de exercícios na marcha e equilibrio postural em pacientes após acidente vascular encefálico crônico

The aim of this review is to evaluate studies about gait training and exercise interventions applied to patients following chronic stroke on gait and balance. The studies included in this review were random clinical trials, including only chronic post-stroke individuals that evaluated gait and balance outcomes and with a PEDro scale score ≥ 7.0. Eight studies were selected. The results suggest gait and balance will only be affected in chronic post-stroke patients if training sessions last at least 30 minutes, are repeated three times a week, and maintained for at least five weeks. Gait training affects how chronic post-stroke individuals walk. They will probably walk faster and with a lower risk of falling; however, it is unclear whether the consequences of these procedures affect the quality of life.

RESUMO O objetivo desta revisão é avaliar estudos sobre intervenções com treino de marcha e exercícios específicos sobre marcha e equilíbrio postural, aplicados a pacientes após acidente vascular encefálico em fase crônica. Os estudos incluídos nesta revisão foram ensaios clínicos randomizados, incluindo apenas indivíduos pós-acidente vascular encefálico em fase crônica que avaliaram marcha e equilíbrio postural, com uma pontuação em escala PEDro ≥ 7.0. Oito estudos foram selecionados. Os resultados sugerem que a marcha e o equilíbrio somente são afetados em pacientes crônicos pós-acidente vascular encefálico se as sessões de treinamento tiverem duração mínima de 30 minutos, forem repetidos três vezes por semana, e mantidos durante pelo menos cinco semanas. O treino de marcha e os exercícios afetam a forma como os indivíduos pós-acidente vascular encefálico em fase crônica andam. Eles provavelmente andarão mais rápido e com menor risco de quedas; no entanto, não está claro se as consequências destes procedimentos afetam a qualidade de vida.

Semi-rigid brace and taping decrease variability of the ankle joint position sense / Órtese semi-rígida e bandagem funcional diminuem a variabilidade do senso de posição da articulação do tornozelo / Órtesis semi-rígida y vendaje funcional reducen la variabilidad de la sensación de posición articular del tobillo

The present study investigated the effect of taping and the semi-rigid ankle brace on ankle joint position sense. Sixteen healthy women (20.8 ± 2.3 years old) actively placed the ankle in a target position. The experimental conditions were: 1) wearing no orthosis device, 2) using semi-rigid brace, and 3) wearing ankle taping. Absolute error (AE) and variable error (VE) were calculated to obtain the joint position sense. We found an interaction effect between condition and target angle at 15o of plantar flexion for the variable VE, which showed smaller errors during the use of taping and semi-rigid brace. In conclusion, the use of ankle joint orthoses, whether taping or semi-rigid brace, decrease the variability of the position sense at 15o of plantar flexion, potentially decreasing ankle sprains occurrence...

"Órtese semi-rígida e bandagem funcional diminuem a variabilidade do senso de posição da articulação do tornozelo." O presente estudo investigou o efeito da bandagem funcional e da órtese semi-rígida no senso de posição da articulação do tornozelo. Dezesseis mulheres saudáveis (20.8 ± 2.3 anos) posicionaram seus tornozelos ativamente nas posições alvo. As condições experimentais foram: 1) sem o uso de órtese, 2) com órtese semi-rígida de tornozelo e 3) com bandagem funcional. O erro absoluto (AE) e o erro variável (EV) foram calculados para a obtenção do senso de posição. Houve efeito da interação dos fatores condição e ângulo alvo somente para o EV obtido a 15o de flexão plantar, cujos valores foram menores tanto com o uso de bandagem funcional, quanto com o uso de órtese semi-rígida. Pode-se concluir que o uso de dispositivos de tornozelo, seja bandagem funcional ou órtese semi-rígida, diminui a variabilidade do senso de posição da articulação do tornozelo a 15o de flexão plantar, o que sugere uma possível diminuição do risco de ocorrência de entorse de tornozelo...

"Órtesis semi-rígida y vendaje funcional reducen la variabilidad de la sensación de posición articular del tobillo." El objetivo del presente estúdio era poder conocer los efectos de los vendajes y de las tobilleras semi-rígidas en la sensación de posición articular de la articulación del tobillo. Dieciséis mujeres sanas (20,8 ± 2,3 años) tomaron sus tobillos activamente en posiciones de destino. Las condiciones experimentales fueron: 1) sin usar ningún dispositivo ortopédico, 2) con órtesis semi-rígida, y 3) con vendaje funcional. Los errores absolutos (EA) y los errores variables (EV) fueron calculados para obtener la sensación de posición articular. Hubo un efecto de la interacción entre la condición y el ángulo de destino a 150 flexión plantar sólo para el EV, el cual mostró menores errores en cuenta con vendaje funcional, como así también con la órtesis semi-rígida. En conclusión, el uso de órtesis de tobillo, ya sean la vendaje o bien órtesis semi-rígida, reducen la variabilidad de la sensación de posición articular a 150 flexión plantar, lo que sugiere una posible disminución en el riesgo de esguince de tobillo...

Effects of resistance exercise on ascendent aorta on ovariectomized elderly rats

Studies have shown a strong relationship between menopause, diet, physical inactivity and presence of risk factors causing endothelial and tissue damages, leading to increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of resistance training on the effects of estrogen deprivation in aortic collagen and elastic tissue in aging. Fifteen Wistar female rats, 4 months-old, average weight 240 g were studied. All animals were ovariectomized at 6 months of age, after divided into 3 groups (n = 5): Sedentary adult (13 months), Sedentary old and Trained old (both with 17 months). All animals were ovariectomized at 6 months of age. The animals were observed for 8 months after its ovariectomy and then submitted to resistance training protocol during 12 weeks. At the end of the experiment the animals were euthanized. Samples of the ascending aorta were sectioned, fixed, processed and stained for examination by light microscopy. Photomicrographs were used for stereological study and analyzed the following parameters: body weight, volume density of collagen fibers and elastic lamellae. No significant difference was found between the initial and final weights in the studied groups. Resistance training attenuates the increase in volume density of elastic lamellae (21%) and collagen fibers (16%), when compared with the sedentary older group.

Influence of resistance training in left ventricle of ovariectomized elderly rats

Several cardiovascular changes evoked by aging affect negatively the quality of people’s lives, among them is the reduced functional capacity. Menopausal women, affected by the suspension of the ovarian hormones, suffer more intensely from metabolic and cardiovascular changes. It is known that physical training causesbiochemical, electrical, morphological, and mechanical adaptations in the cardiac muscle, which togetherprovide an improvement in the cardiac function. The goal of the present study was to evaluate theeffect of resistance training in the left ventricle of ovariectomized rats through stereological analysis. Westudied  15  Wistar female rats, 4 months- old, average weight 240 g. All animals were ovariectomized at9 months of age and then divided into 3 groups of five individuals as follows: Ovariectomized Sedentary Adult(13 months) (OSA), Ovariectomized Sedentary Elderly (17 months) (OSE), and Ovariectomized TrainedElderly (17 months) (OTE). The rats were monitored for 13 months and subsequently underwent resistancetraining for 12 weeks. The stereological analysis was performed using light microscopy techniques and dataobtained for each group were tabulated and statistically compared using ANOVA and post hoc Tukey tests(p ≤ 0.05). It was verified that training decreased volume density of myocyte, interstitium and collagen fibersfollowed by increased volume density of capillaries, when compared with the ovariectomized sedentary elderly(OSE). Our data suggest that resistance training minimizes changes in the myocardium of elderly rats deprivedof ovarian hormones.

Effectiveness of resistance training exercises in spastic diplegia cerebral palsy: a review

Cerebral Palsy presents itself in a clinical form of spastic diplegia, where neurological sequels are predominant in the lower limbs and substantially affects the capacity to walk. Traditional methods of physiotherapy intervention emphasize the techniques of neurological rehabilitation at the expense of progressive resistance exercises.The goal of the present research is to fulfill a bibliographic review concerning the period of 1985 to 2012 about studies that investigated the effect of resistance exercises applied to cerebral palsy children carrying spastics’ diplegia. The Scielo, MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Sports Discus, DARE, PsychInfo, ERIC, Ausport-Med, AMI, Cochrane and PEDro databases were used to conduct a literature search using keywords without restrictions. In this systematization, a search was conducted using the keywords: cerebral palsy, progressive resistance exercise, diplegia, gross motor function measure (GMFM). Literature have shown that the restrict capacity to generate force is as debilitating or more than it is the muscle spasticity, potentially causing more restriction to the movement than the spasticity itself. Children with normal motor development, as well as carrying spastic diplegia increase their capacity to generate strength when submitted to a resistive training, not only on lower limbs, but also on upper limbs. Furthermore, several studies have shown that diplegic cerebral palsy children improve their motor ability due to strength training, thought it still remains to be proved that strength training leads to a substantial change for the better allowing that there is ascension of category for functional capacity.

Effects of aerobic exercise on soleus muscle of rats with metabolic syndrome

Introduction: Studies have shown a strong relationship between physical activity and the presence of cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, insulin resistance, diabetes, dyslipidemia and obesity that characterize the metabolic syndrome. Moreover, the practice of regular physical activity has been recommended for the prevention and treatment of this syndrome. Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyze by histomorphometric techniques, the effect of aerobic exercise in the soleus muscle of rats with metabolic syndrome. Methodology: A total of 15 male Wistar rats, 150 days old, divided into three groups (n = 5): sedentary, control (C); metabolic syndrome (MS) and trained, metabolic syndrome (TMS). The induction of MS was performed using fructose in the drinking water of animals. From the 9th week of induction, animals in the Training groups underwent exercise treadmill belt (Imbramed TK-01) with moderate intensity (50-70% of maximum speed achieved in the stress test). Physical training was conducted for nine weeks, with a frequency of 5 times per week, for about 60 minutes. The procedures were approved by the Ethics Committee of the São Judas Tadeu University (protocol Nr 060/2007). At the end of the experiment the animals were euthanized by decapitation. The right soleus muscle was sectioned, fixed and treated for conducting conventional histology, and the slides stained by HE and Picrosirius methods. Photomicrographs of 10 fields per animal were captured by light microscope, transferred to the image analysis program (Software Axio Vision, Zeiss). We measured the cross-sectional areas of muscle fibers and to analyze the volume densities of muscle fibers, capillaries, and interstitial collagen fibers, was used stereological method (252 points). The statistical analysis used was ANOVA One Way and Tukey test (p < 0.05)...

Cinemática da articulação do joelho e atividade eletromiográfica de músculos do membro inferior durante a marcha em ambiente aquático e terrestre / Kinematics of the knee joint and activity electromyographic of lower limb muscles during underwater gait

The objective of this study was to present the electromyographic pattern of lower limb muscles during underwater gait. It was also aimed at presenting the knee angular position and angular velocity and compare them during gait on land. Ten subjects with no history of injury in the locomotor apparatus were selected. Superficial, difterential, active, pre-amplifled electrodes were used to colect electromyographic signals from muscles vastus lateralis biceps femoris. tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius lateralis. The pared t-test was used. It was concluded that there is a consistent elec tromyographic activation pattern during the underwater gait for the studied muscles, and these muscles maintain the same synergism during walking on land surface. It was also concluded that the knee joint kinematics temporal pattern differs according to the environment