Muscle damage and soreness following a 50-km cross-country ski race

ISSN： 1746-1391

Source： European Journal of Sport Science, Vol.7, Iss.1, 2007-03, pp. : 27-33

Disclaimer: Any content in publications that violate the sovereignty, the constitution or regulations of the PRC is not accepted or approved by CNPIEC.

Previous Menu Next

Abstract

In this study, we examined indirect markers of muscle damage and muscle soreness following a 50-km cross-country ski race completed in 2 h and 57 min to 5 h and 9 min by 11 moderately trained male university students. Maximal strength of the knee extensors, several blood markers of muscle damage and inflammation, and muscle soreness (visual analog scale: 0 = "no pain", 50 mm = "unbearably painful") were measured one day before, immediately after, and 24, 48, 72, and 144 h after the race. Changes in the measures over time were analysed using one-way repeated-measures analysis of variance and a Fisher's post-hoc test. Maximal strength of the knee extensors decreased significantly (P<0.05) immediately after the race (mean -27%, s=6), but returned to pre-exercise values within 24 h of the race. All blood markers increased significantly (P<0.05) following the race, peaking either immediately (lactate dehydrogenase: 253.7 IU · l-1, s=13.3; myoglobin: 476.4 ng · ml-1, s=85.5) or 24 h after the race (creatine kinase: 848.0 IU · l-1, s=151.9; glumatic oxaloacetic transaminase: 44.3 IU · l-1, s=4.2; aldolase: 10.0 IU · l-1, s=1.3; C-reactive protein: 0.36 IU · l-1, s=0.08). Muscle soreness developed in the leg, arm, shoulder, back, and abdomen muscles immediately after the race (10-30 mm), but decreased after 24 h (<15 mm), and disappeared 48 h after the race. These results suggest that muscle damage induced by a 50-km cross-country ski race is mild and recovery from the race does not take long.