Relationship between Skin Temperature, Electrical Manifestations of Muscle Fatigue, and Exercise-Induced Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness for Dynamic Contractions: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) indicates the presence of muscle damage and impairs force production and control. Monitorization of DOMS is useful to improving recovery intervention plans. The magnitude of DOMS may relate to muscle fatigue, which can be monitored by surface electromyography (EMG). Additionally, growing interest has been expressed in determining whether the skin temperature over a muscle group during exercise to fatigue could be a non-invasive marker for DOMS. Here we determine whether skin temperature and manifestations of muscle fatigue during exercise are correlated and can predict DOMS after concentric-eccentric bicep curl exercises. We tested 10 young adults who performed concentric-eccentric bicep curl exercises to induce muscle damage in the biceps brachialis to investigate the relationship between skin temperature and fatigue during exercise and DOMS after exercise. Muscle activation and skin temperature were recorded during exercise. DOMS was evaluated 24 h after exercise. Data analysis was performed using Bayesian regression models with regularizing priors. We found significant muscle fatigue and an increase in skin temperature during exercise. DOMS was observed 24 h after exercise. The regression models showed no correlation of changes in skin temperature and muscle fatigue during exercise with DOMS 24 h after exercise. In conclusion, our preliminary results do not support a relationship between skin temperature measured during exercise and either muscle fatigue during exercise or the ability to predict DOMS 24 h after exercise.

Keywords: biceps brachialis; electromyography; exercise recovery; infrared thermography; physical exercise.

Figure 1

Flowchart of the study protocol. EMG: surface electromyography; IT: infrared thermography; MIVC: maximal isometric voluntary contraction; DOMS: delayed onset muscle soreness.

Figure 2

Regions of interest in which skin temperature was determined using infrared thermography.

Figure 3

Neuromuscular activation responses during exercise during the three series. A linear trend line with a 95% credibility interval (CI) has been added to each series plot. MDF is the median frequency and MVC is the maximum voluntary contraction.

Figure 4

Skin temperature responses during exercise for the three series in both arms. For each arm, a linear trend line with a 95% CI has been added to each series plot.