title: Reduced Modulation of Pain in Older Adults After Isometric and Aerobic Exercise.
abstract: Laboratory-based studies show that acute aerobic and isometric exercise reduces sensitivity to painful stimuli in young healthy individuals, indicative of a hypoalgesic response. However, little is known regarding the effect of aging on exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH). The purpose of this study was to examine age differences in EIH after submaximal isometric exercise and moderate and vigorous aerobic exercise. Healthy older and younger adults completed 1 training session and 4 testing sessions consisting of a submaximal isometric handgrip exercise, vigorous or moderate intensity stationary cycling, or quiet rest (control). The following measures were taken before and after exercise/quiet rest: 1) pressure pain thresholds, 2) suprathreshold pressure pain ratings, 3) pain ratings during 30 seconds of prolonged noxious heat stimulation, and 4) temporal summation of heat pain. The results revealed age differences in EIH after isometric and aerobic exercise, with younger adults experiencing greater EIH compared with older adults. The age differences in EIH varied across pain induction techniques and exercise type. These results provide evidence for abnormal pain modulation after acute exercise in older adults.
  
  
  
  This article enhances our understanding of the influence of a single bout of exercise on pain sensitivity and perception in healthy older compared with younger adults. This knowledge could help clinicians optimize exercise as a method of pain management.
authors.affiliation: Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, College of Dentistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. Electronic address: kmnaugle@iupui.edu.
authors.forename: Kelly M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Naugle
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana.
authors.forename: Keith E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Naugle
authors.affiliation: Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, College of Dentistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
authors.forename: Joseph L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Riley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D019540:Area Under Curve; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D007537:Isometric Contraction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D058748:Pain Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D011312:Pressure; D011601:Psychophysics; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Exercise-induced hypoalgesia; acute exercise; aging; exercise analgesia; pain modulation