title: Prior swimming exercise favors muscle recovery in adult female rats after joint immobilization.
abstract: [Purpose] To evaluate the efficacy of pre-exercise on immobilization and subsequent recovery of white gastrocnemius (WG) and soleus (SOL) muscles of female rats. [Subjects and Methods] Thirty, 8-month-old, female Wistar rats were randomly and evenly allocated to six groups: sedentary (S); immobilized sedentary (IS); immobilized/rehabilitated sedentary (IRS); trained (T); immobilized trained (IT); and immobilized/rehabilitated trained (IRT). For four months, T, IT and IRT group animals performed swimming exercise (three sessions per week, 60 minutes per session), while S, IS and IRS groups animals remained housed in cages. After this period, the left hindlimb of the animals from the IS, IRS, IT and IRT groups was immobilized for five days, with the ankle at 90°. After removal of the orthosis, animals from the IRS and IRT groups followed a rehabilitation program based on swimming (five sessions per week, 60 minutes per session) for two weeks. [Results] Immobilization significantly reduced the cross-sectional area of the white gastrocnemius muscle; no changes were observed in the soleus muscles of the trained animals. Transforming growth factor-β1 protein levels were similar among the trained groups. [Conclusion] Prior swimming prevents hypotrophy of the soleus muscle after immobilization, and protein levels reflected the adaptive capacity of the skeletal muscle.
authors: Graduate Program in Physiotherapy, Methodist University of Piracicaba, UNIMEP, Brazil.
authors: Ana Claudia
authors: AC
authors: Petrini
authors: Laboratory of Neuromuscular Plasticity, Graduate Program in Science of Human Movement, Methodist University of Piracicaba, UNIMEP, Brazil.
authors: Douglas Massoni
authors: DM
authors: Ramos
authors: Laboratory of Neuromuscular Plasticity, Graduate Program in Science of Human Movement, Methodist University of Piracicaba, UNIMEP, Brazil.
authors: Luana
authors: L
authors: Gomes de Oliveira
authors: Graduate Program in Physiotherapy, Methodist University of Piracicaba, UNIMEP, Brazil; Laboratory of Neuromuscular Plasticity, Graduate Program in Science of Human Movement, Methodist University of Piracicaba, UNIMEP, Brazil.
authors: Carlos
authors: C
authors: Alberto da Silva
authors: Graduate Program in Physiotherapy, Methodist University of Piracicaba, UNIMEP, Brazil; Laboratory of Neuromuscular Plasticity, Graduate Program in Science of Human Movement, Methodist University of Piracicaba, UNIMEP, Brazil.
authors: Adriana
authors: A
authors: Pertille
keywords: Exercise; Immobilization; Skeletal muscle