• Martin D Hoffman, Melissa A Shepanski, Stephen B Ruble, Zoran Valic, John B Buckwalter, and Philip S Clifford.
• Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Medical College of Wisconsin, WI, USA. martin.hoffman@med.va.gov
• Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2004 Jul 1; 85 (7): 1183-7.

ObjectiveTo examine how exercise-induced analgesia is affected by the duration and intensity of aerobic exercise.DesignRepeated-measures design.SettingExercise science laboratory.ParticipantsConvenience sample of 12 healthy male and female volunteers (mean age +/- standard deviation, 32+/-9 y).InterventionsPain ratings were assessed before and at 5 and 30 minutes after treadmill exercise of 10 minutes at 75% maximal oxygen uptake (Vo(2)max), 30 minutes at 50% Vo(2)max, and 30 minutes at 75% Vo(2)max (randomized order and no less than 48 h between each bout).Main Outcome MeasuresPain ratings were measured on a visual analog scale at 10-second intervals during a 2-minute pressure-pain stimulus to the nondominant index finger.ResultsPain ratings were significantly decreased (P<.05) from pre-exercise values 5 minutes after 30 minutes of exercise at 75% Vo(2)max but returned toward baseline by 30 minutes after exercise. There were no significant changes in pain ratings after 10 minutes of exercise or after exercise at 50% Vo(2)max.ConclusionsThere are thresholds for both the intensity (>50% Vo(2)max) and duration (>10 min) of exercise required to elicit exercise analgesia.

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