Moderate intensity cycling is better than running on recovery of eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage

Abstract

Objective: To compare the effects of moderate intensity running and cycling on markers of exercise-induced muscle damage in men.

Study design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Laboratory.

Participants: Thirty volunteers were randomized in three groups [running (RG; n = 10), cycling (CG; n = 10) and control (CON; n = 10)] and were evaluated at baseline, post 24, 48 and 72 h of knee extensors' muscle damage protocol. CON performed passive recovery, while RG and CG performed active recovery immediately after the protocol, as well as 24 h and 48 h afterwards.

Main outcomes: (i) maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC); (ii) delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS); (iii) plasma creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels.

Results: No group-by-time interaction was found in any outcome evaluated (p > 0.05). All groups presented decreases in MVIC and increases in DOMS (p < 0.001), without differences in CK and LDH. Compared with CON, exercise groups presented likely beneficial effects for LDH, while only CG had a likely beneficial effect for DOMS. Lastly, CG presented likely/very likely beneficial effects for MVIC and DOMS compared to RG.

Conclusion: Although the null hypothesis analysis did not find differences, the magnitude-based inference analysis suggested that moderate intensity cycling have likely beneficial effects on knee extensor muscle recovery after eccentric exercise protocol.

Keywords: Active recovery; Cycling; Muscle damage; Running.