Acute effects of cold pack on mechanical properties of the quadriceps muscle in healthy subjects.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the effects of local cooling on mechanical properties of the quadriceps muscle in healthy subjects.


METHODS
Thirty-nine healthy subjects (27 women, 12 men, mean age 39, range 20-62) volunteered.


METHODS
A cold gel pack was applied to the quadriceps muscle for 20 min. Properties were quantified by analyzing the frequency (tension), decrement (elasticity) and stiffness of damped oscillations and the compliance of the muscle before, immediately after and after 15-min after cooling.


RESULTS
The largest responses immediately after cooling were seen in the oscillation decrement parameter, 7.9 (3.7-12.1) %, and in the compliance parameter, -7.5 (-9.8 to -5.3) %. Responses in the oscillation frequency, 6.5 (2.3-10.6) %, and stiffness parameters, 4.0 (0.8-7.1) %, were also statistically significant. The compliance still showed a -6.1 (-7.7 to -4.5) % decrease after the 15 min recovery phase, while no remaining alteration was found in the oscillation parameters.


CONCLUSIONS
The quadriceps muscle became tenser, stiffer, and less elastic as a result of cooling, and the mechanical properties were not fully recovered after 15 min. Careful warming-up is suggested after cooling to enable normalization of mechanical properties of the muscle and to avoid injuries.
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Jyvaskyla Central Hospital, Keskussairaalantie 19, 40620 Jyvaskyla, Finland. sirpa.mustalampi@ksshp.fi
Sirpa
S
Mustalampi
Jari
J
Ylinen
Hannu
H
Kautiainen
Adam
A
Weir
Arja
A
Häkkinen
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003080:Cold Temperature; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D017679:Cryotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement; D009127:Muscle Rigidity / Q000628:therapy*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D052097:Quadriceps Muscle / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult