The Relationship Between Lower Limb Passive Muscle and Tendon Compression Stiffness and Oxygen Cost During Running

Immediate Effect of Compression Contrast Therapy on Quadriceps Femoris Muscles' Regeneration in MMA Fighters

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the immediate effect of Game Ready (GR) heat-cold compression contrast therapy (HCCT) on changes in the biomechanical parameters of the quadriceps femoris muscles and tissue perfusion. Methods: Fifteen male MMA fighters were subjected to HCCT on the dominant leg's thigh and control sham therapy on the other. The experimental intervention used a pressure cuff with the following parameters: time-20 min; pressure-25-75 mmHg; and temp.-3-45°C, changing every 2 min. For the control group, the temp. of sham therapy was 15-36 °C, and pressure was 15-25 mmHg, changing every 2 min. Measurements were taken on the head of the rectus femoris muscle (RF) 5 min before therapy, 5 min after, and 1 h after therapy in the same order in all participants: microcirculatory response (PU), muscle tension (MT), stiffness (S), flexibility (E), tissue temperature (°C), and pressure pain threshold (PPT). Results: The analysis revealed significant differences between the HCCT and sham therapy groups and the measurement time (rest vs. post 5 min and post 1 h) for PU, MT, E, and °C (p < 0.00001) (a significant effect of time was found) in response to GR therapy. No significant differences were found for the PPT. Conclusions: The results of this study prove that GR HCCT evokes changes in the biomechanical parameters of the RF muscles and perfusion in professional MMA fighters.

Reliability of MyotonPro in measuring the biomechanical properties of the quadriceps femoris muscle in people with different levels and types of motor preparation

The aim of this research was to evaluate the reliability of the measurements of biomechanical parameters of the muscles of athletes representing different disciplines as well as untrained people. Ninety-four young, healthy male individuals participated in the study and were divided into five subgroups: footballers (n = 25), volleyballers (n = 14), handballers (n = 19), MMA fighters (n = 16), and undrained group (n = 20). All of the participants underwent measurements of stiffness (S), muscle tone (T) and elasticity (E) by two independent measurers using MyotonPro equipment. Analysis was conducted on two different parts of the quadriceps femoris: rectus femoris (RF) and vastus medialis (VM. Consequently, the comprehensive analysis comprised 564 measurements (94 participants * 3 parameters = 282 * 2 measurers = 564). The results proves high reliability of the myotonometry (Pearson's CC over 0.8208-0.8871 for different parameters, ICC from to 0.74 to 0.99 for different muscles and parameters) excluding only stiffness for the VM which was characterized withlow ICC of 0.08 and relatively highest between the examined parameters MAE% of 8.7% which still remains low value. The most significant differences between the parameters in examined groups were observed between MMA fighters and volleyballers in terms of muscle tone and elasticity of the VM (correlation of 0.14842 and 0.15083 respecitively). These results confirm the usability of myotonometry in measuring the biomechanical properties of the muscles in different sports groups and confirm the independence of the results obtained from the person performing the measurement.

Effect of 6-Week Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization on Joint Flexibility and Musculotendinous Properties

Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) stimulates soft subcutaneous tissues by applying pressure to the skin with a specialized bar or spurtle-like instrument. No studies have verified whether several weeks of continuous IASTM alone can alter joint flexibility and musculotendinous properties in healthy participants. We examined the effect of a 6-week IASTM program on joint flexibility and the musculotendinous properties of the lower limbs. Fourteen healthy men (aged 19-35 years) who participated in a 6-week IASTM program (3 days weekly) for the soft tissue of the posterior aspect of one lower leg were included. The other leg served as the control. Before and after the intervention, we measured the maximal ankle joint dorsiflexion angle (dorsiflexion range of motion: DFROM) and maximal passive torque (MPT), a measure of stretch tolerance. We measured muscle and tendon stiffness using shear wave elastography on the gastrocnemius and Achilles tendon. IASTM significantly increased the DFROM and MPT (p < 0.05 for both). However, no significant changes were observed in muscle and tendon stiffness. None of the parameters changed significantly in the control group. The 6-week IASTM program increased stretch tolerance and joint flexibility but did not change muscle and tendon stiffness.

Acute Effects of the Dry Needling Session on Gastrocnemius Muscle Biomechanical Properties, and Perfusion with Latent Trigger Points - A Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial in Mixed Martial Arts Athletes

The study aimed to evaluate the immediate effects of a dry needling (DN) therapy session on biomechanical properties, muscle power, perfusion, and pressure pain threshold of the gastrocnemius muscle with latent trigger points. Twenty mixed martial arts athletes (MMA) were randomly divided into two groups: experimental (eDN, n = 10) and sham (qDN, n = 10) to undergo one session of DN either with a real or a qazi needle. The measurements were taken at rest, 1-5 minutes after the DN (Post1-5min) and 24h after the DN (Post24h). DN significantly increased the muscle perfusion (Post1-5min and Post24h, p < 0.001), reduced its tone (Post1-5min and Post24h, p < 0.001) and stiffness (Post1-5min, p < 0.05; Post24 h, p < 0.001), and improved its elasticity (Post1-5min and Post24h, p < 0.001). DN also caused a significant increase in pressure pain threshold (Post1-5min, p < 0.001; Post24h, p < 0.05) and in muscle power (Post24h, p < 0.01). The DN session increased the blood perfusion and improved the biomechanical properties of the gastrocnemius muscle, which led to improved muscle power. The DN also had an analgesic effect. These effects were maintained at 24 h, which suggests that DN could facilitate muscle recovery in a post-exercise period of MMA athletes.

Immediate Effect of Cryo-Compression Therapy on Biomechanical Properties and Perfusion of Forearm Muscles in Mixed Martial Arts Fighters

Mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters use their arms and hands for striking with the fists, grappling, and defensive techniques, which puts a high load on the forearms and hand muscles. New methods are needed to decrease the risk of injury and increase the effectiveness of regeneration. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of cryo-compression (CC) therapy of different times (3 and 6 min) on forearm muscles in MMA fighters by investigating muscle pain, stiffness, tension, elasticity strength, and perfusion. Twenty professional male MMA fighters aged 26.5 ± 4.5 years, with training experience of 10.3 ± 5.0 years, were enrolled on an experimental within-group study design. The participants underwent CC therapy at a temperature of 3 °C and compression of 75 mmHg for 3 min and, in the second session, for 6 min. The investigated parameters were in the following order: (1) perfusion in non-reference units (PU), (2) muscle tone (T-[Hz]), (3) stiffness (S-[N/m]), (4) elasticity (E-[arb]), (5) pressure pain threshold (PPT-[N/cm]), and (6) maximum isometric force (Fmax [kgf]) at two time points: (1) at rest-2 min before CC therapy (pre) and (2) 2 min after CC therapy (post). There were significant differences between 3 and 6 min of CC therapy for PU and T. Meanwhile, F, E, PPT, and S were significantly different when comparing pre- to post-conditions. These results provide evidence that CC therapy is a stimulus that significantly affects parameters characterizing muscle biomechanical properties, pain threshold, strength, and tissue perfusion.