Can Skin Temperature Be Altered After Different Magnitudes of Eccentric Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage?

Purpose: This study aimed to assess skin temperature (Tsk) changes after different magnitudes of exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) of the elbow flexor muscles and investigate whether Tsk is related to indirect markers of EIMD.

Methods

Thirty healthy active men were randomly allocated to the mild (MiDG) (n = 15) or moderate (MoDG) (n = 15) muscle damage group. Muscle damage in elbow flexor muscles was induced by 10 (for MiDG) or 30 (for MoDG) maximal eccentric isokinetic contractions at 60 degrees/s. Tsk, maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC), delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), plasma creatine kinase (CK) activity, range of motion (ROM), and pressure pain threshold (PPT) were measured before and up to 72 hr after EIMD.

Results

Tsk increased only immediately after EIMD (p < .05; f = 1.44) in the MoDG (4.2%) and MiDG (4.6%), returning to near baseline values 30 min after EIMD and remaining so thereafter. In addition, there was no intergroup difference (p > .05) at any of the times analyzed, or correlation between Tsk and most indirect markers of EIMD.

Conclusions

In conclusion, Tsk should not be considered an indirect marker of mild or moderate muscle damage in active men, since alterations in this variable last less than 30 min after damaging exercise and showed no correlation with most indirect markers of EIMD.