To determine if timing of a supplement would have an effect on muscle damage, function and soreness. Twenty-seven untrained men (21 +/- 3 yrs) were given a supplement before or after exercise. Subjects were randomly assigned to a pre exercise (n = 9), received carbohydrate/protein drink before exercise and placebo after, a post exercise (n = 9), received placebo before exercise and carbohydrate/protein drink after, or a control group (n = 9), received placebo before and after exercise. Subjects performed 50 eccentric quadriceps contractions on an isokinetic dynamometer. Tests for creatine kinase (CK), maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and muscle soreness were recorded before exercise and at six, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h post exercise. Repeated measures ANOVA were used to analyze data. There were no group by time interactions however, CK significantly increased for all groups when compared to pre exercise (101 +/- 43 U/L) reaching a peak at 48 h (661 +/- 1178 U/L). MVC was significantly reduced at 24 h by 31.4 +/- 14.0%. Muscle soreness was also significantly increased from pre exercise peaking at 48 h. Eccentric exercise caused significant muscle damage, loss of strength, and soreness; however timing of ingestion of carbohydrate/protein supplement had no effect.

To determine the effects of 16 wk. of beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) administration on age-related changes in functionality and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) determined myofiber dimensions. Twelve young (44 wk.), 6 middle-aged (60 wk.), 10 old (86 wk.), and 5 very old (102 wk.) male Fisher-344 rat's body composition and grip strength were assessed at baseline. Following, 6 young, 6 middle-aged, 5 old and 5 very old rats were sacrificed for baseline myofiber dimensions and gene transcript factor expression in the soleus (SOL) and gastrocnemius (GAS). The remaining 6 young and 5 old rats were given HMB for 16 wk. and then sacrificed. Fat mass increased in the middle-aged control condition (+49%) but not the middle-aged HMB condition. In addition, fat mass declined (-56%) in the old HMB condition but not the old control condition. Normalized strength declined and maintained respectively in the control and HMB conditions from 44 to 60 wk. and increased (+23%) (p < 0.05) from 86 to 102 wk. in only the HMB condition. Declines occurred in myofiber size in all muscles from 44 to 102 wk. in the control condition(-10 to -15%), but not HMB condition. Atrogin-1 mRNA expression in the SOL and GAS muscles was greater in the 102-wk control condition than all other conditions: SOL (+45%) and GAS (+100%). This elevation was blunted by HMB in the 102 wk. old SOL. There was a condition effect in the SOL for myogenin, which significantly increased (+40%) only in the 102-wk. HMB group relative to the 44-wk. group. HMB may blunt age-related losses of strength and myofiber dimensions, possibly through attenuating the rise in protein breakdown.

While chronic β-Hydroxy β-Methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation (≥ 2 wk) lowers exercise induced muscle damage, its acute or timing effects have not been examined. The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute and timing effects of oral HMB supplementation on serum creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), muscle soreness, and maximal voluntary contraction (MVC).

Resistance training (RT) enhances muscle protein synthesis and hypertrophy while increasing strength and power. Some multi-ingredient performance supplements (MIPS) have been shown to augment the physiological improvements associated with RT. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of specific pre- and post-workout MIPS on anabolic hormones, body composition, muscle strength, and power in resistance-trained men participating in a periodized RT program.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate resistance training (RES) and RES combined with chiropractic treatment (RES-C) on fibromyalgia (FM) impact and functionality in women with FM. Design: The design of the study was a randomized control trial. Setting: Testing and training were completed at the university and chiropractic treatment was completed at chiropractic clinics. Participants: Participants (48 ± 9 years; mean ± standard deviation) were randomly assigned to RES (n = 10) or RES-C (n = 11). Intervention: Both groups completed 16 weeks of RES consisting of 10 exercises performed two times per week. RES-C received RES plus chiropractic treatment two times per week. Outcome measures: Strength was assessed using one repetition maximum for the chest press and leg extension. FM impact was measured using the FM impact questionnaire, myalgic score, and the number of active tender points. Functionality was assessed using the 10-item Continuous Scale Physical Functional Performance test. Analyses of variance with repeated measures compared groups before and after the intervention. Results: Six (6) participants discontinued the study: 5 from RES and 1 from RES-C. Adherence to training was significantly higher in RES-C (92.0 ± 7.5%) than in RES (82.8 ± 7.5%). Both groups increased (p ≤ 0.05) upper and lower body strength. There were similar improvements in FM impact in both groups. There were no group interactions for the functionality measures. Both groups improved in the strength domains; however, only RES-C significantly improved in the pre- to postfunctional domains of flexibility, balance and coordination, and endurance. Conclusions: In women with FM, resistance training improves strength, FM impact, and strength domains of functionality. The addition of chiropractic treatment improved adherence and dropout rates to the resistance training and facilitated greater improvements in the domains of functionality.

This study evaluated the effects of Class IV laser therapy on pain, Fibromyalgia (FM) impact, and physical function in women diagnosed with FM. The study was a double-blind, randomized control trial. Testing was completed at the university and Rheumatologist office and treatment was completed at a chiropractic clinic. Thirty-eight (38) women (52±11 years; mean±standard deviation) with FM were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups, laser heat therapy (LHT; n=20) or sham heat therapy (SHT; n=18). Both groups received treatment twice a week for 4 weeks. Treatment consisted of application of LHT or SHT over seven tender points located across the neck, shoulders, and back. Treatment was blinded to women and was administered by a chiropractic physician for 7 minutes. Participants were evaluated before and after treatment for number and sensitivity of tender points, completed the FM Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) and the pain question of the FIQ, and were measured for function using the continuous scale physical functional performance (CS-PFP) test. Data were evaluated using repeated-measures analysis of variance with significance accepted at p≤0.05. There were significant interactions for pain measured by the FIQ (LHT: 7.1±2.3 to 6.2±2.1 units; SHT: 5.8±1.3 to 6.1±1.4 units) and for upper body flexibility measured by the CS-PFP (LHT: 71±17 to 78±12 units; SHT: 77±12 to 77±11 units) with the LHT improving significantly compared to SHT. There was a time effect for the measure of FM impact measured by the FIQ, indicating that FM impact significantly improved from pre- to post-treatment in LHT (63±20 to 57±18 units), while no change was observed in the SHT (57±11 to 55±12 units). This study provides evidence that LHT may be a beneficial modality for women with FM in order to improve pain and upper body range of motion, ultimately reducing the impact of FM.