Dataset Information

Similar effects of fatigue induced by a repetitive pointing task on local and remote light touch and pain perception in men and women.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Women involved in repetitive, fatiguing, jobs develop more neck and/or shoulder musculoskeletal disorders than men. Sex differences in the pain response to exercise could contribute to the higher prevalence of neck/shoulder musculoskeletal disorders in women. The objective of this study was to assess sex differences in pain sensitivity following a fatiguing upper limb task. Relationships between measures of fatigue and of the sensitivity to nociceptive and to non-nociceptive stimulations were also explored.

Methods

Thirty healthy adults (15 women) performed a fatiguing repetitive pointing task with their dominant arm. Upper limb electromyography was recorded from the dominant upper trapezius, anterior deltoid and bicep brachii and from the contralateral tibialis anterior. Before and immediately after the repetitive pointing task, pressure pain and light touch sensitivity thresholds were measured over the same muscles.

Results

Electromyographic signs of fatigue were observed only in the anterior deltoid and biceps brachii muscles. Pressure pain thresholds over both muscles increased slightly (effect size ? 0.34), but no changes occurred over the upper trapezius and the tibialis anterior. Light touch thresholds increased moderately to importantly after the repetitive pointing task over all four muscles (effect sizes = 0.58 to 0.87). No sex differences were observed in any sensory variable. Moreover, no or weak correlations (r = -0.27 to 0.39) were observed between electromyographical signs of fatigue, light touch threshold and pressure pain threshold variables.

Conclusions

We observed sex-independent effects of a repetitive upper limb task on the sensitivity to painful and to nonpainful stimuli. Moreover, the hypoalgesia induced by the repetitive pointing task was weak and localized, and did not directly correlate with the induced muscle fatigue. Results suggest that fatigue-related changes in the sensitivity to noxious and innocuous stimuli could not explain women's greater prevalence of neck/shoulder musculoskeletal disorders.

SUBMITTER: Bouffard J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7748284 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Similar effects of fatigue induced by a repetitive pointing task on local and remote light touch and pain perception in men and women.

Bouffard Jason J Weber Zachary Z Pearsall Lyndsey L Emery Kim K Côté Julie N JN

PloS one 20201218 12

<h4>Background</h4>Women involved in repetitive, fatiguing, jobs develop more neck and/or shoulder musculoskeletal disorders than men. Sex differences in the pain response to exercise could contribute to the higher prevalence of neck/shoulder musculoskeletal disorders in women. The objective of this study was to assess sex differences in pain sensitivity following a fatiguing upper limb task. Relationships between measures of fatigue and of the sensitivity to nociceptive and to non-nociceptive s ...[more]

PMID: 33338075

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Project description:The oxygen-conforming response (OCR) of skeletal muscle refers to a downregulation of muscle force for a given muscle activation when oxygen delivery (O2D) is reduced, which is rapidly reversed when O2D is restored. We tested the hypothesis that the OCR exists in voluntary human exercise and results in compensatory changes in muscle activation to maintain force output, thereby altering perception of effort. In eight men and eight women, electromyography (EMG), oxyhemoglobin (O2Hb) and deoxyhemoglobin (HHb), forearm blood flow (FBF), and task effort awareness (TEA) were measured. Participants completed two nonfatiguing rhythmic handgrip tests consisting of 5-min steady state (SS) followed by two bouts of 2-min brachial artery compression to reduce FBF by ~50% of SS (C1 and C2), separated by 2 min of no compression (NC1) and ending with 2 min of no compression (NC2). When FBF was compromised during C1, EMG/Force (1.58?±?0.39) increased compared with SS (1.31?±?0.33, P = 0.001). However, EMG/Force was not restored upon FBF restoration at NC1 (1.48?±?0.38, P = 0.479), consistent with C1 evoking skeletal muscle fatigue. When FBF was compromised during C2, EMG/Force increased (1.73?±?0.50) compared with NC1 (1.48?±?0.38, P = 0.013). EMG/Force returned to NC1 levels during NC2 (1.50?±?0.39, P = 0.016), consistent with an OCR in C2. TEA (SS 2.2?±?2.3, C1 3.9?±?2.5, NC1 3.4?±?2.7, C2 4.6?±?2.7, NC2 3.9?±?2.8) mirrored changes in EMG. It is noteworthy that during the second compromise and then restoration of muscle oxygenation EMG and TEA were rapidly restored to precompromise levels. We interpreted these findings to support the existence of an OCR and its ability to rapidly modify perception of effort during voluntary exercise. NEW & NOTEWORTHY In healthy individuals, when force output is maintained during rhythmic handgrip exercise, muscle activation and perception of effort rapidly increase with compromised muscle oxygen delivery (O2D) and then return to precompromised levels when muscle O2D is restored. These findings suggest that an oxygen-conforming response (OCR) exists and is able to modify perception of effort during voluntary exercise. Therefore, similar to fatigue, an OCR may have implications for exercise tolerance.

Dataset Information

Similar effects of fatigue induced by a repetitive pointing task on local and remote light touch and pain perception in men and women.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Similar effects of fatigue induced by a repetitive pointing task on local and remote light touch and pain perception in men and women.

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