title: Effect of aqua exercise on recovery of lower limb muscles after downhill running.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to examine how the recovery of physiological functioning of the leg muscles after high-intensity eccentric exercise such as downhill running could be promoted by aqua exercise for a period until the damaged muscle had recovered almost completely. Ten male long-distance runners were divided equally into an aqua exercise group and a control group. From the first day (Day 0) to the fourth day (Day 3), the participants completed a questionnaire on muscle soreness, and serum creatine kinase activity, muscle power, flexibility, whole-body reaction time and muscle stiffness were measured. After measurements on Day 0, the participants performed downhill running (three 5 min runs with a 5 min rest interval at -10%, 335.7 +/- 6.1 m . min-1). The aqua exercise group performed walking, jogging and jumping in water on three successive days following the downhill running on Day 0 for 30 min each day. Muscle power was reduced on Day 1 in the control group (P < 0.05). Muscle soreness in the calf on Day 3 was greater in the control group than that in the aqua exercise group (P < 0.05). In the aqua exercise group, muscle stiffness in the calf was less than that in the control group over 4 days (time main effect: P < 0.05; group x time interaction: P < 0.05). We conclude that aqua exercise promoted physiological functioning of the muscles in the legs after high-intensity downhill running for a period until the damaged muscles had recovered almost completely.
authors.affiliation: School of Health and Sports Science, Juntendo University, Chiba, Japan. jun1ro@chujo-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Junichiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishihara
authors.forename: Junichiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aoki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D003402:Creatine Kinase