• R Guieu, O Blin, J Pouget, and G Serratrice.
• Clinique des maladies neuromusculaire et de l'appareil locomoteur, Marseille, France.
• Can J Neurol Sci. 1992 Feb 1; 19 (1): 69-71.

AbstractPrevious studies using subjective tools to measure pain have shown that muscle exercise can have analgesic effects in man. The nociceptive leg flexion reflex (or RIII reflex) is a useful objective tool for assessing human pain. In this study, the pain threshold was assessed using the nociceptive flexion reflex in six high-level athletes 1) at rest in comparison with 8 control subjects and 2) after exercise requiring the production of a 200-Watt force over a period of 20 minutes. The nociceptive flexion reflex threshold at rest was found to be spontaneously higher in the athletes than in the controls. Physical activity resulted in a significant increase (+53%) in the threshold of the nociceptive reflex in the athletes. The role of stress-induced analgesia, the reduction in perceived intensity of stimuli during movement, and the release of opioids are discussed.

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