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We investigated the effects of far-infrared radiation (FIR) lamp therapy on changes in muscle damage and performance parameters following six sets of 15-min Loughborough intermittent shuttle test (LIST), a simulated soccer match. Twenty-four elite female soccer players (20–24 y) were assigned into FIR or sham treatment group (n = 12/group). The participants received a 60-min FIR or sham treatment (30 min per muscle) over knee extensors (KE) and flexors (KF) at 2, 25, 49, 73, and 97 h post-LIST. Maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVC) torque and muscle soreness of the KE and KF, plasma creatine kinase (CK) activity as muscle damage markers, and several performance parameters including countermovement jump (CMJ) and Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1 (YYIR1) were measured before and 1, 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 h post-LIST. Changes in the measures were compared between groups by a mixed-design two-way ANOVA. The running distance covered during LIST and changes in the measures at 1-h post-LIST (before the treatment) were similar (p = 0.118–0.371) between groups. Changes in muscle damage markers at 24–120 h post-LIST were smaller (p < 0.05, n2 = 0.208–0.467) for the FIR (e.g., MVC-KE torque decrease at 48-h post-LIST: −1 ± 2%, peak KE soreness: 16 ± 10 mm, peak CK: 172 ± 42 IU/L) than sham group (−11 ± 9%, 33 ± 7 mm, 466 ± 220 IU/L, respectively). Performance parameters recovered faster (p < 0.05, n2 = 0.142–0.308) to baseline for the FIR (e.g., decreases at 48-h post-LIST; CMJ: 0 ± 1%, YYIR1: 0 ± 1%) than sham group (−6 ± 2%, −9 ± 6%, respectively). These results suggest that the FIR lamp therapy was effective for enhancing recovery from a soccer match.

The present study compared four different intervals between three simulated soccer matches for changes in muscle damage and performance parameters. Thirteen well-trained female university soccer players performed three bouts of 90-min Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test (LIST) with four different intervals between bouts; one (1d), two (2d), three (3d) and four days (4d), with > 12-weeks between conditions in a counterbalanced order. Heart rate, blood lactate, rating of perceived exertion and distance covered in each LIST were measured. Changes in several muscle damage markers (e.g., maximal voluntary isometric torque of the knee extensors: MVC-KE, muscle soreness), performance parameters (e.g., Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1: Yo-Yo IR1), and blood measures (e.g., osmolality, high sensitivity cardiac tro-ponin T) before the first LIST, 1 h after each LIST, and one to five days after the third LIST were compared among the conditions. The total distance covered during the first two LISTs was not different among the conditions, but that during the third LIST was shorter (P < 0.05) for the 1d (9,416 ± 885 m) and 2d conditions (9,737 ± 246 m) than the 3d (10,052 ± 490 m) and 4d conditions (10,432 ± 538 m). Changes in all measures were smaller (P < 0.05) in the 3d and 4d conditions (e.g., the decrease in MVC-KE at one day after the third LIST was-13 ± 4% and-10 ± 3%, respectively) when compared with the 1d and 2d conditions (-20 ± 7%,-18 ± 5%). Performance parameters showed smaller (P < 0.05) changes in the 4d (e.g., the decrease in Yo-Yo IR1 at one day after the third LIST was-9 ± 3%) and 3d (-13 ± 6%) conditions when compared with the 1d (-19 ± 4%) and 2d (-20 ± 8%) conditions. These results suggest that muscle damage and fatigue accumulate when soccer matches are performed three consecutive days or every other day, but if more than three days are inserted between matches, this could be minimized.

The present study compared the ipsilateral repeated bout effect (IL-RBE) and contralateral repeated bout effect (CL-RBE) of the elbow flexors (EF) and knee flexors (KF) for the same interval between bouts to shed light on their mechanisms. Fifty-two healthy sedentary young (20–28 years) men were randomly assigned to the IL-EF, IL-KF, CL-EF, and CL-KF groups (n = 13/group). Thirty maximal eccentric contractions of the EF were performed in IL-EF and CL-EF, and 60 maximal eccentric contractions of the KF were performed in IL-KF and CL-KF, with a 2-week interval between bouts. Changes in muscle damage markers such as maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) torque, muscle soreness, and plasma creatine kinase activity, and proprioception measures before to 5 days post-exercise were compared between groups. Changes in all variables were greater (p < 0.05) after the first than second bout for all groups, and the changes were greater (p < 0.05) for the EF than KF. The changes in all variables after the second bout were greater (p < 0.05) for the CL than IL condition for both EF and KF. The magnitude of the average protective effect was similar between CL-EF (33%) and CL-KF (32%), but slightly greater (p < 0.05) for IL-EF (67%) than IL-KF (61%). These demonstrate that the magnitude of CL-RBE relative to IL-RBE was similar between the EF and KF (approximately 50%), regardless of the greater muscle damage for the EF than KF. It appears that the CL-RBE is more associated with neural adaptations at cerebrum, cerebellum, interhemispheric inhibition, and coricospinal tract, but the IL-RBE is induced by additional adaptations at muscles.

An acute bout of eccentric exercise affects insulin sensitivity and lipid profile, but how the magnitude of muscle damage affects them is not clear. We compared changes in blood insulin sensitivity and lipid markers after the first (EC1) and second (EC2) eccentric exercise bouts. Fifteen sedentary young men performed arm, leg and trunk muscle eccentric exercises, and repeated them 2 weeks later. Fasting blood samples were taken before, 2 h and 1–5 days after each exercise bout to analyze plasma creatine kinase (CK) activity, serum glucose (GLU), insulin, homeostasis model assessment (HOMA), triacylglycerols (TG), total (TC) and low- (LDLC) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) concentrations as well as TC/HDLC ratio. Changes in these measures were compared between bouts and relationships to peak plasma CK activity were analyzed. Plasma CK activity increased (p < 0.05) after EC1 (peak: 101,668 ± 58,955 IU/L) but not after EC2. The magnitude of changes in GLU (peak after EC1: 26 ± 10% vs. EC2: 7 ± 6%), insulin (46 ± 27% vs. 15 ± 8%), HOMA (86 ± 48% vs. 24 ± 15%), TC (−20 ± 5% vs. −6 ± 4%), TG (−32 ± 11% vs. −6 ± 3%), LDHC (−47 ± 15% vs. −12 ± 9%), HDLC (35 ± 26% vs. 7 ± 4%), and TC/HDLC ratio (−139 ± 13% vs. −11 ± 7%) were significantly greater after EC1 than EC2. Peak plasma CK activity was significantly (p < 0.05) correlated with the peak changes in blood insulin sensitivity and lipid markers for the combined data of EC1 and EC2. These results suggest that the greater the magnitude of muscle damage, the greater the magnitude of changes in the insulin sensitivity to a negative direction and lipid markers to a positive direction.

The present study aimed to compare changes in muscle damage and performance parameters after playing single versus multiple soccer matches to examine fixture congestion effects on performance. Twelve elite female university soccer players performed single, three and six consecutive 90-min bouts of the Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test (LIST) with ≥ 12-weeks between conditions in a pseudo-randomized order. Heart rate, blood lactate, rating of perceived exertion and covering distance in each LIST were examined. Changes in several types of muscle damage (e.g., maximal voluntary isometric torque of the knee extensors: MVC-KE) and performance measures (e.g., Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test level 1: YYIR1) were taken before each LIST, 1 h, and 1–5 d after the last LIST. The total distance covered during the LIST was shorter (p < 0.05) in the 2nd–3rd, or 2nd–6th LISTs when compared with the 1st LIST. Changes (p < 0.05) in all measures were observed after the LIST, and the greatest changes were observed after the six than after the three LISTs followed by one LIST (e.g., largest changes in MVC-KE: −26 > −20 > −14%; YYIR1: −31 > −26 > −11%). Many of the variables did not recover to the baseline for 5 d after six LISTs. These suggest that fixture congestion induces greater muscle damage and performance decline than a single match.

Chen, T. C., Chen, H. L., Cheng, L. F., Chou, T. Y., & Nosaka, K. (2021). Effect of leg eccentric exercise on muscle damage of the elbow flexors after maximal eccentric exercise. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 53(7), 1473-1481. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000002616

Chen, T. C., Huang, T. H., Tseng, W. C., Tseng, K. W., Hsieh, C. C., Chen, M. Y., . . . Nosaka, K. (2021). Changes in plasma C1q, apelin and adropin concentrations in older adults after descending and ascending stair walking intervention. Scientific Reports, 11, aricle 17644. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-96631-x

Chen, T. C., Tseng, W. C., Chen, H. L., Tseng, K. W., Chou, T. Y., Huang, Y. C., & Nosaka, K. (2021). Striking muscle adaptations induced by volume-dependent repeated bouts of low-intensity eccentric exercise of the elbow flexors. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 46(8), 897-905. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2020-1016

Chou, T. Y., Nosaka, K., & Chen, T. C. (2021). Muscle damage and performance after single and multiple simulated matches in university elite female soccer players. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(8), article 4134. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18084134

Tseng, W. C., Nosaka, K., Tseng, K. W., Chou, T. Y., & Chen, T. C. (2019). Contralateral effects by unilateral eccentric versus concentric resistance training. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 52(2), 474-483. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000002155

Chen, T. C., Huang, G. L., Hsieh, C. C., Tseng, K. W., Tseng, W. C., Chou, T. Y., & Nosaka, K. (2020). Comparison among three different intensities of eccentric contractions of the elbow flexors resulting in the same strength loss at one day post-exercise for changes in indirect muscle damage markers. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 120(1), 267-279. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-019-04272-w

Huang, M.-J., Nosaka, K., Wang, H.-S., Tseng, K.-W., Chen, H.-L., Chou, T.-Y., & Chen, T. C. (2019). Damage protective effects conferred by low-intensity eccentric contractions on arm, leg and trunk muscles. European journal of applied physiology, 119(5), 1055–1064. Available here