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Int J Sports Med
DOI: 10.1055/a-2301-9115
Physiology & Biochemistry

Hypoalgesia and Conditioned Pain Modulation in Blood Flow Restriction Resistance Exercise

Jinghui Yang 
1   Physical Therapy, New York University Steinhardt School of Culture Education and Human Development, New York, United States
,
Nicholas Rolnick
2   The Human Performance Mechanic, Lehman College, Bronx, United States
,
Ericka Merriwether
1   Physical Therapy, New York University Steinhardt School of Culture Education and Human Development, New York, United States
3   Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, United States
,
Smita Rao
1   Physical Therapy, New York University Steinhardt School of Culture Education and Human Development, New York, United States
› Author Affiliations Funding Information Ericka Merriwether is founded by the NIH K23AR080846.
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Abstract

We compared the magnitude of exercise-induced hypoalgesia and conditioned pain modulation between blood-flow restriction (BFR) resistance exercise (RE) and moderate-intensity RE. Twenty-five asymptomatic participants performed unilateral leg press in two visits. For moderate-intensity RE, subjects exercised at 50% 1RM without BFR, whereas BFR RE exercised at 30% 1RM with a cuff inflated to 60% limb occlusion pressure. Exercise-induced hypoalgesia was quantified by pressure pain threshold changes before and after RE. Conditioned pain modulation was tested using cold water as the conditioning stimulus and mechanical pressure as the test stimulus and quantified as pressure pain threshold change. Difference in conditioned pain modulation pre- to post-RE was then calculated. The differences of RE on pain modulations were compared using paired t-tests. Pearson’s r was used to examine the correlation between exercise-induced hypoalgesia and changes in conditioned pain modulation. We found greater hypoalgesia with BFR RE compared to moderate-intensity RE (p=0.008). Significant moderate correlations were found between exercise-induced hypoalgesia and changes in conditioned pain modulation (BFR: r=0.63, moderate-intensity: r=0.72). BFR RE has favorable effects on pain modulation in healthy adults and the magnitude of exercise-induced hypoalgesia is positively correlated with conditioned pain modulation activation.

Keywords

blood-flow restriction - exercise-induced hypoalgesia - conditioned pain modulation - resistance exercise - sex - descending pain inhibition


Publication History

Received: 22 November 2023

Accepted: 03 April 2024

Accepted Manuscript online:
08 April 2024

Article published online:
28 July 2024

© 2024. Thieme. All rights reserved.

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