Relationship between exercise-induced muscle soreness, pain thresholds, and skin temperature in men and women

• Published in: Journal of thermal biology Vol. 100; p. 103051
• Main Authors: da Silva, Willian, Machado, Álvaro Sosa, Lemos, Andressa Lemes, de Andrade, Camilla Ferreira, Priego-Quesada, Jose Ignacio, Carpes, Felipe P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2021; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Adult; Exercise - adverse effects; Exercise recovery; Female; Humans; Infrared thermography; Male; Muscle damage; Muscle Fatigue; Myalgia - etiology; Myalgia - physiopathology; Pain; Pain Threshold; Physical exercise; Quadriceps muscle; Sex Factors; Skin; Skin Temperature; Temperature; Thermography; Women; Physical exercise; Infrared thermography; Muscle fatigue; Exercise recovery; Muscle damage
• ISSN: 0306-4565; 1879-0992
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.103051

Infrared thermography (IRT) has gained popularity in sports medicine for determining whether changes in skin temperature relate to pain and muscle damage. Such a relationship would support IRT as a non-invasive method to monitor these physiological responses. However, the literature remains controversial. Here, we determine the relationship between exercise-induced muscle soreness (DOMS), pain, and skin temperature in men and women before and after exercise. Twenty-two physically active adults (10 men and 12 women) completed a squat exercise protocol to induce muscle damage. Skin temperature, DOMS, and pressure pain threshold (PPT) were assessed in the quadriceps pre, post-exercise, and 48 h post-exercise. DOMS increased similarly in men and women post-exercise and 48 h post-exercise. PPT was lower in women compared to men. PPT decreased 48 h post-exercise for men but did not differ between the moments for women. Skin temperature responses were sex-dependent. Mean and maximum temperatures increased post-exercise for men, and maximum temperature reduced 48 h post-exercise. In women, the minimum temperature increased 48 h post-exercise. DOMS was not predicted by skin temperature but showed a direct association between pre and 48 h post-exercise variation of maximum skin temperature and PPT. We conclude that there is a sex-dependent effect in analyzing skin temperature changes in response to exercise, something that seems to not have been addressed in previous studies. To date, inferences are generally assumed as similar for both men and women, which we show may not be the case. •Delayed onset muscle soreness did not differ between sexes.•The pressure pain threshold is smaller in women than men.•The pressure pain threshold decreased in men 48 h post-exercise.•Minimum skin temperature data increased 48 h post-exercise in women.•Variation in maximum skin temperature showed a direct relationship with pain threshold.