Evaluation of Cumulative Charge Activation Technology in Decreasing Delayed-onset Muscle Soreness after Eccentric Exercise

EasyChair Preprint no. 6511

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the treatment efficacy of noninvasive neuromuscular stimulation, specifically cumulative charge activation technology (CCAT) by (1) quantifying healing responses of musculoskeletal tissues experiencing DOMS post-eccentric exercise; and (2) quantifying symptoms of delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in treatment versus control groups. Untrained, healthy subjects (n=24) were randomly as-signed to treatment and control groups and performed an eccentric exercise protocol designed to elicit a DOMS response in elbow flexor muscles. The Control group recovered without post-exercise treatment; while the Treatment group received 5 treatments of CCAT (using the Sigma Q® Bioneuro system) at 2 hours, 1, 2, 4 and 8 days post-exercise. Outcome measures collected to measure tissue damage and healing responses included: serum Creatine Kinase (CK) levels, relaxed elbow angle (REA), and maximum voluntary isometric contractions (MVICs). A survey was used to obtain subjective symptoms before and after exercise in both groups. ANOVA with repeated measures and linear regression techniques were used to examine objective and subjective outcomes. The recovery slope of the REA in linear regression model was significantly different from zero (T=2.92, p<0.01) and almost twice as great as the Control group’s (T=1.39, p=0.169). Serum CK levels and MVICs were significantly associated with Day (p<0.05), but not Treatment (p > 0.05) effects. Self-reported soreness/stiffness of the exercised arm (p<0.001) and arm pain (p<0.05) demonstrated a Treatment x Day interaction, and simple main effects demonstrated decreased symptoms for the Treatment group on certain days. CONCLUSION: Treatment with Sigma Q® Bioneuro-based CCAT was associated with reduced symptoms of stiffness/soreness and pain, and increased rate of recovery of REA.

Keyphrases: Activation Technology, Cumulative Charge, Fatigue Recovery, Muscle Soreness, Neuromuscular, Pain Management

@Booklet{EasyChair:6511,
  author = {Sean Gallagher and Rong Huangfu and Ivan Nail-Ulloa and Tianqi Tenchi Gao Smith and Lovely Krishen and Maria Schmidt},
  title = {Evaluation of Cumulative Charge Activation Technology in Decreasing Delayed-onset Muscle Soreness after Eccentric Exercise},
  howpublished = {EasyChair Preprint no. 6511},

  year = {EasyChair, 2021}}