The Effects of Intensity on Exercise-Induced Hypoalgesia During a Knee Extension Exercise

The primary purpose of this study is to to compare immediate changes in pressure pain threshold at the exercising muscle (quadriceps) and a non-exercising muscle (upper trapezius) during low and high weight knee extension exercise. Participants will attend one session that consists of pain sensitivity testing, completion of pain-related psychological questionnaires, and random assignment to one of three interventions: 1) knee extension exercise with a high weight, 2) knee extension exercise with a low weight, or 3) quiet rest.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Seated knee extension exercise

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Florida
    • Orlando, Florida, United States, 32765
      • University of Central Florida

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 60 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Pain-free
• 18-60 years old
• Participant can appropriately perform the knee extension exercise (assessed during screening)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Non-English speaking
• Regular use of prescription pain medications
• Current or history of chronic pain condition
• Currently taking blood-thinning medication
• Systemic medical condition known to affect sensation, such as uncontrolled diabetes or neurological conditions
• Any contraindication to the application of ice, such as: uncontrolled hypertension, cold urticaria, cryoglobulinemia, paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria, circulatory compromise
• Known presence of cardiovascular, pulmonary, or metabolic disease
• Current use of tobacco products
• Not physically ready to exercise without a medical exam as indicated by the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire Plus (PAR-Q+)
• Surgery, injury, or fracture to the lower back or lower extremity within the past 6 months

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: High Intensity Exercise; Participants will complete a knee extension exercise with weight equivalent to 75% of their 1-repetition maximum for 3 sets of 10 repetitions.	Other: Seated knee extension exercise; Participants will be seated in a resistance exercise machine. Weight corresponding to the assigned group will be added to the machine. Participants will extend the dominant knee for 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
Experimental: Low Intensity Exercise; Participants will complete a knee extension exercise with weight equivalent to 30% of their 1-repetition maximum for 3 sets of 10 repetitions.	Other: Seated knee extension exercise; Participants will be seated in a resistance exercise machine. Weight corresponding to the assigned group will be added to the machine. Participants will extend the dominant knee for 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
No Intervention: Quiet Rest; Participants will sit quietly for two minutes, three times.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pressure Pain Threshold	A digital pressure algometer will be applied to the quadriceps and upper trapezius for two trials each. Participants are instructed to say "stop" or "pain" so the stimulus can be terminated "when the sensation first transitions from pressure to pain" (pain threshold). Participants will rate the pain experienced during the threshold testing using a 101-point numeric pain rate scale (NPRS) anchored with 0= no pain to 100= the most intense pain sensation imaginable immediately following each testing time.	1 day

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Conditioned Pain Modulation	Pressure pain threshold after an cold water immersion task will be measured.	1 day

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Central Florida
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Abigail Wilson, University of Central Florida

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 31, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 27, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): March 27, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 27, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 27, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): September 30, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): December 9, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 30, 2024
• Last Verified: October 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 3

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No