title: Temporal summation of heat pain modulated by isometric exercise.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about the effects of isometric exercise on temporal summation of heat pain. Thus, the purposes of study 1 and study 2 were to examine the influence of exhaustive and non-exhaustive isometric exercise on temporal summation of heat pain in men and women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-four men and 44 women (mean age = 20 years) completed an informed consent document and a packet of questionnaires. Ten heat pulses were applied to the thenar eminence of the dominant hand using a standardized temporal summation protocol. Participants rated the intensity of the heat pulses using a 0-100 pain rating scale before and following isometric exercise consisting of squeezing a hand dynamometer at 40% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) to exhaustion (exhaustive exercise, study 1) and at 25% MVC for 3 min (non-exhaustive exercise, study 2). Muscle pain and perceived exertion were rated every 30 s during exercise using validated rating scales. The data were analysed with repeated measures analysis of variance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results indicated there were no sex differences (p > 0.05) in time to exhaustion (study 1), muscle pain or perceived exertion (studies 1 and 2). There was a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in temporal summation ratings following isometric exercise for men and women in both study 1 and study 2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is concluded that exhaustive and non-exhaustive isometric exercise significantly reduced temporal summation of heat pain in men and women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA. koltyn@education.wisc.edu
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Koltyn
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Knauf
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Brellenthin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D055815:Young Adult