European journal of applied physiology
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Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. · Jan 2011
Cardiac output but not stroke volume is similar in a Wingate and VO2peak test in young men.
Wingate test (WT) training programmes lasting 2-3 weeks lead to improved peak oxygen consumption. If a single 30 s WT was capable of significantly increasing stroke volume and cardiac output, the increase in peak oxygen consumption could possibly be explained by improved oxygen delivery. Thus, we investigated whether a single WT increases stroke volume and cardiac output to similar levels than those obtained at peak exercise during a graded cycling exercise test (GXT) to exhaustion. ⋯ During the tests, we estimated cardiac output using inert gas rebreathing (nitrous oxide and sulphur hexafluoride) and subsequently calculated stroke volume. We found that cardiac output was similar (18.2 ± 3.3 vs. 17.9 ± 2.6 l min(-1); P = 0.744), stroke volume was higher (127 ± 37 vs. 94 ± 15 ml; P < 0.001), and heart rate was lower (149 ± 26 vs. 190 ± 12 beats min(-1); P < 0.001) at the end (27 ± 2 s) of a WT as compared to peak exercise during a GXT. Our results suggest that a single WT produces a haemodynamic response which is characterised by similar cardiac output, higher stroke volume and lower heart rate as compared to peak exercise during a GXT.
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Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. · Jan 2011
Test-retest reliability of the nociceptive withdrawal reflex and electrical pain thresholds after single and repeated stimulation in patients with chronic low back pain.
Recent studies have shown that the nociceptive withdrawal reflex threshold (NWR-T) and the electrical pain threshold (EP-T) are reliable measures in pain-free populations. However, it is necessary to investigate the reliability of these measures in patients with chronic pain in order to translate these techniques from laboratory to clinic. The aims of this study were to determine the test-retest reliability of the NWR-T and EP-T after single and repeated (temporal summation) electrical stimulation in a group of patients with chronic low back pain, and to investigate the association between the NWR-T and the EP-T. ⋯ The results showed good-to-excellent reliability for both NWR-T and EP-T in all cases, with average ICC values ranging 0.76-0.90 and average CV values ranging 12.0-17.7%. The association between thresholds was better after repeated stimulation than after single stimulation, with average r (2) values of 0.83 and 0.56, respectively. In conclusion, the NWR-T and the EP-T are reliable assessment tools for assessing the sensitivity of spinal nociceptive pathways in patients with chronic pain.
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Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. · Jan 2011
Decreased variability in postural control strategies in young people with non-specific low back pain is associated with altered proprioceptive reweighting.
Optimal postural control is an essential capacity in daily life and can be highly variable. The purpose of this study was to investigate if young people have the ability to choose the optimal postural control strategy according to the postural condition and to investigate if non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) influences the variability in proprioceptive postural control strategies. Young individuals with NSLBP (n = 106) and healthy controls (n = 50) were tested on a force plate in different postural conditions (i.e., sitting, stable support standing and unstable support standing). ⋯ Significantly higher RPW values were observed in the NSLBP group in all postural conditions (p < 0.05), suggesting less ability to rely on back muscle proprioceptive inputs for postural control. Therefore, healthy controls seem to have the ability to choose a more optimal postural control strategy according to the postural condition. In contrast, young people with NSLBP showed a reduced capacity to switch to a more multi-segmental postural control strategy during complex postural conditions, which leads to decreased postural robustness.