Skip to main content
Log in

Effect of exhaustive weightlifting exercise on the maximal isometric force, electromyogram parameters, muscle pain, and biochemical markers of muscle damage

Human Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The effect of exhaustive weightlifting exercise (WE) on the time-related changes in performance capacity was studied along with measuring several physiological and biochemical variables during exercise. The work performed decreased soon after the start of exercise and stabilized after reducing the amount of weight used (40-10% 1RM). The maximal amplitude of the surface electromyogram (EMG) of m. rectus femori strongly tended to increase in the first half of WE and stabilized at the end of WE. WE substantially increased the blood plasma lactate level, the myoglobin concentration grew twice as high, while creatine kinase (CK) activity remained unchanged. It was assumed to explain the observed decrease in performance capacity that fast motor units (MUs) progressively refuse to work, while weaker intermediate and slow MUs continue working. Unchanged CK activity and an insignificant increase in plasma myoglobin suggested only minor, if any, WE-induced damage to myocyte membranes in the subjects.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Finni, T., Kyröläinen, H., Avela, J., and Komi, P.V., Maximal but not submaximal performance is reduced by constant-speed 10-km run, J. Sports Med. Phys. Fitness, 2003, vol. 43, p. 411.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Hedayatpour, N., Falla, D., Arendt-Nielsen, L., and Farina, D., Effect of delayed-onset muscle soreness on muscle recovery after a fatiguing isometric contraction, Scand. J. Med. Sci. Sports, 2008, vol. 20, p. 145.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Maughan, R. and Gleeson, M., The Biochemical Basis of Sports Performance, New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 2004.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Proske, U., Gregory, J.E., Morgan, D.L., et al., Force matching errors following eccentric exercise, Hum. Mov. Sci, 2004, vol. 23, p. 365.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Cheung, K., Hume, P., and Maxwell, L., Delayed onset muscle soreness: Treatment strategies and performance factors, Sports Med., 2003, vol. 33, p. 145.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Connolly, D.A.J., Sayers, S.P., and McHugh, M.P., Treatment and prevention of delayed onset muscle soreness, J. Strength Cond. Res., 2003, vol. 17, p. 97.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Coudreuse, J.M., Dupont, P., and Nicol, C., Delayed post effort muscle soreness, Ann. Readapt. Med. Phys., 2004, vol. 47, p. 290.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Pyne, D.B., Exercise-induced muscle damage and inflammation: A review, Aust. J. Sci. Med. Sport, 1994, vol. 26, p. 49.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. MacIntyre, D.L., Reid, W.D., Lyster, D.M., et al., Presence of WBC, decreased strength, and delayed soreness in muscle after eccentric exercise, J. Appl. Physiol., 1996, vol. 80, no. 3, p. 1006.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Morozov, V.I., Usenko, T.N., and Rogozkin, V.A., Neutrophil antiserum response to decrease in proteolytic activity in loaded rat muscle, Eur. J. Appl. Physiol., 2001, vol. 84, p. 195.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Morozov, V.I., in Exercise and Cellular Mechanisms of Muscle Injury, Kalinski, M.I. and Peake, J., Eds., New York: Nova Science Publishers, 2011, p. 217.

  12. Linnamo, V., Bottas, R., and Komi, P.V., Force and EMG power spectrum during and after eccentric and concentric fatigue, J. Electromyogr. Kinesiol., 2000, vol. 10, p. 293.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Howatson, G., Van Someren, K., and Hortobgyi, T., Repeated bout effect after maximal eccentric exercise, Int. J. Sports Med., 2007, vol. 28, p. 557.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Hedayatpour, N., Falla, D., Arendt-Nielsen, L., et al., Motor unit conduction velocity during sustained contraction after eccentric exercise, Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., 2009, vol. 41, no. 10, p. 1927.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Bottas, R., Miettunen, K., Komi, P., and Linnamo, V., Acute (0–2h) and delayed (2–8D) effects of exercise-induced muscle damage and soreness on elbow target movements, Motor Control, 2011, vol. 15, no. 4, p. 525.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Vila-Chã, C., Hassanlouei, H., Farina, D., and Falla, D., Eccentric exercise and delayed onset muscle soreness of the quadriceps induce adjustments in agonist-antagonist activity, which are dependent on the motor task, Exp. Brain Res., 2012, vol. 216, no. 3, p. 385.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Kano, Y., Masuda, K., Furukawa, H., et al., Histological skeletal muscle damage and surface EMG relationships following eccentric contractions, J. Physiol. Sci., 2008, vol. 58, no. 5, p. 349.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Widrick, J.J. and Barker, T., Peak power of muscles injured by lengthening contractions, Muscle Nerve, 2006, vol. 34, no. 4, p. 470.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Nosaka, K., Newton, M., and Sacco, P., Delayed-onset muscle soreness does not reflect the magnitude of eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage, Scand. J. Med. Sci. Sports, 2002, vol. 12, no. 6, p. 337.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Minigalin, A.D., Shumakov, A.R., Baranova, T.I., et al., Acute and delayed biochemical and physiological effects of exhaustive weightlifting exercise, Hum. Physiol., 2011, vol. 37, no. 2, p. 200.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Wilmore, J.H. and Costill, D.L., Functional anatomy of exercising muscle, Physiology of Sport and Exercise, Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics, 2012, 5th ed., p. 29.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Terzis, G., Spengos, K., Karampatso, G., et al., Acute effect of drop jumping on throwing performance, J. Strength Cond. Res., 2009, vol. 23, p. 2592.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Gilliver, S.F., Degens, H., Rittweger, J., et al., Variation in the determinants of power of chemically skinned human muscle fibres, Exp. Physiol., 2009, vol. 94, p. 1070.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Macpherson, P.C., Schork, M.A., and Faulkner, J.A., Contraction-induced injury to single fiber segments from fast and slow muscles of rats by single stretches, Am. J. Physiol., 1996, vol. 271, no. 5, p. 1438.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Sahlin, K., Metabolic factors in fatigue, Sports Med., 1992, vol. 13, p. 99.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Fowles, J.R., Green, H.J., Tupling, R., et al., Human neuromuscular fatigue is associated with altered Na+-K+-ATPase activity following isometric exercise, J. Appl. Physiol., 2002, vol. 92, p. 1585.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Plowman, S.A. and Smith, D.L., Exercise physiology, Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2011, 3rd ed.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Hogan, M.C., Gladden, L.B., Kurdak, S.S., and Poole, D.C., Increased lactate in working dog muscle reduces tension development independent of pH, Med. Sci. Sports Exercise, 1995, vol. 27, p. 371.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Gladden, L.B., Lactate metabolism: A new paradigm for the third millennium, J. Physiol., 2004, vol. 558, p. 5.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Peake, J., Nosaka, K., and Suzuki, K., Characterization of inflammatory responses to eccentric exercise in humans, Exerc. Immunol. Rev., 2005, vol. 11, p. 64.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Crenshaw, A.G., Thornell, L.E., and Fridn, J., Intramuscular pressure, torque and swelling for the exercise-induced sore vastus lateralis muscle, Acta. Physiol. Scand., 1994, vol. 152, no. 3, p. 265.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Gibala, M.J., MacDougall, J.D., Tarnopolsky, M.A., et al., Changes in human skeletal muscle ultrastructure and force production after acute resistance exercise, J. Appl. Physiol., 1995, vol. 78, no. 2, p. 702.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Fridén, J. and Lieber, R.L., Eccentric exercise-induced injuries to contractile and cytoskeletal muscle fibre components, Acta. Physiol. Scand., 2001, vol. 171, no. 3, p. 321.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Fuglevand, A.J., Zackowski, K.M., Huey, K.A., and Enoka, R.M., Impairment of neuromuscular propagation during human fatiguing contractions at submaximal forces, J. Physiol., 1993, vol. 460, p. 549.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Fuller, D., Sullivan, J., and Fregosi, R.F., Expiratory muscle endurance performance after exhaustive submaximal exercise, J. Appl. Physiol., 1996, vol. 80, p. 1495.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Ross, E.Z., Goodall, S., Stevens, A., and Harris, I., Time course of neuromuscular changes during running in well-trained subjects, Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., 2010, vol. 42, p. 1184.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Yakovlev, N.N., Biokhimiya sporta (Biochemistry of Sports), Moscow: Fizkul’tura Sport, 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Volkov, N.I., Biokhimiya myshechnoi deyatel’nosti (Biochemistry of Muscle Activity), Moscow: Olimpiiskii sport, 2001.

    Google Scholar 

  39. Myakinchenko, E.B. and Seluyanov, V.N., Razvitie lokal’noi myshechnoi vynoslivosti v tsiklicheskikh vidakh sporta (Training for Local Muscle Endurance in Cyclic Sports), Moscow: SportAkademPress, 2005.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. D. Minigalin.

Additional information

Original Russian Text © A.D. Minigalin, A.R. Shumakov, A.V. Novozhilov, A.V. Samsonova, E.A. Kosmina, M.I. Kalinski, T.I. Baranova, I.V. Kubasov, V.I. Morozov, 2015, published in Fiziologiya Cheloveka, 2015, Vol. 41, No. 1, pp. 89–98.

This article is devoted to V.I. Morozov, Dr. Sci., who have made invaluable contribution to the formation of this field of research.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Minigalin, A.D., Shumakov, A.R., Novozhilov, A.V. et al. Effect of exhaustive weightlifting exercise on the maximal isometric force, electromyogram parameters, muscle pain, and biochemical markers of muscle damage. Hum Physiol 41, 75–82 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0362119714060073

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0362119714060073

Keywords

Navigation