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Rate of torque development as an indirect marker of muscle damage in the knee flexors

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of the study was to examine the changes in the rate of torque development (RTD) as indirect marker of muscle damage following a knee flexion exercise-induced muscle damage protocol in healthy individuals.

Methods

Ten participants (24.8 ± 5.3 years) performed 60 maximal knee flexion eccentric contractions and were evaluated before 0, 24, 48, and 72 h after exercise protocol for maximal isometric and concentric isokinetic strength, optimum angle, RTD, muscle soreness, range of motion (ROM) and biceps femoris and semitendinosus muscle thickness (MT), and echo intensity (EI). RTD was analyzed at 0–50 ms (RTD0–50), 0–100 ms (RTD0–100), 100–200 ms (RTD100–200) windowing, and peak RTD (RTDpeak).

Results

RTD0–50 was decreased (p < 0.05) after 24 h. RTD0–100, RTD100–200, and muscle soreness were decreased after 24, 48, and 72 h after exercise (p < 0.05). RTDpeak, maximal isometric and concentric isokinetic strength decreased and biceps femoris and semitendinosus MT increased (p < 0.05) at all time points after eccentric exercise. ROM was decreased (p < 0.05) 48 and 72 h after exercise. Semitendinosus EI was increased (p < 0.05) 72 h after exercise. Optimum angle was not changed after exercise.

Conclusion

The knee flexor muscle RTD measured at different intervals were changed after the eccentric exercise protocol and may be used as an indirect marker of muscle damage.

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Funding

PhD scholarship to Clarissa M Brusco was provided by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) –Brazil (88887.357700/2019-00).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Exercise Research Laboratory (LAPEX), School of Physical Education, Physiotherapy and Dance, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Felizardo, 750 Bairro Jardim Botânico, Porto Alegre, RS, CEP 90690-200, Brazil

    Clarissa Müller Brusco, Régis Radaelli, Rodrigo Neske & Ronei S. Pinto

  2. Integrative and Neuromuscular Physiology of Exercise Laboratory, School of Kinesiology, Finis Terrae University, Santiago, Chile

    Luis E. Peñailillo

Authors
  1. Clarissa Müller Brusco
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  2. Régis Radaelli
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  3. Rodrigo Neske
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  4. Luis E. Peñailillo
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  5. Ronei S. Pinto
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Contributions

C.M.B., R.R., L.E.P., and R.S.P. participated in the conception and design of the study. C.M.B. and R.R. did the data acquisition. All authors participated in data analysis and interpretation and wrote the main manuscript. The manuscript was reviewed and approved by all authors.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Clarissa Müller Brusco.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

Ethics approval was given by the Ethics committee of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, approval number 965.097.

Informed consent

The participants were carefully informed of the purpose, procedures, and risks of study participation, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants before commence of the study.

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Brusco, C.M., Radaelli, R., Neske, R. et al. Rate of torque development as an indirect marker of muscle damage in the knee flexors. Sport Sci Health 18, 75–83 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-021-00776-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-021-00776-1

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