Key result
Bicep curls at 80% 1RM intensity caused a greater reduction in post-exercise muscle strain rate than 40% 1RM, while baseline strain rate correlated with systolic pulse wave velocity (r=-0.71, p=0.001).
Why the study?
The study investigated the effects of machine-based bicep curl resistance exercise intensity on muscle strain rate and carotid ufPWV, and examined their associations with carotid function in habitual resistance-trained individuals.
Does high-intensity resistance exercise compared to low-intensity affect muscle strain rate and carotid pulse wave velocity in habitual resistance-trained males?
RCT (n=23)
Randomly assigned
Does high-intensity resistance exercise compared to low-intensity affect muscle strain rate and carotid pulse wave velocity in habitual resistance-trained males?
Muscle stiffness measured by ultrafast ultrasound elastography increases with resistance exercise intensity and correlates with carotid pulse wave velocity and stiffness in resistance-trained individuals.
Higher-intensity curls may acutely affect muscle strain more; hypothesis-generating for vascular links, needs prospective confirmation.
Purpose: this study investigated the effects of the intensity of machine-based bicep curl resistance exercise on ultrafast ultrasound-derived muscle strain rate and carotid ultrafast pulse wave velocity (ufPWV), and examined the association between muscle strain rate, ufPWV, and established carotid function measures in habitual resistance-trained individuals. Methods: twenty-three young habitual resistance-trained males (age: 24 ± 1 year, body mass index = 24 ± 1 kg/m2) were recruited to participate in two bouts of acute bicep curl exercise. After one-repetition maximum determination (1RM), the participants were randomly assigned to engage in bicep curls at 40 or 80%1RM intensity (10 reps × five sets) by a crossover study design. The muscle strain rate of bicep muscle, carotid ufPWV during systole(ufPWV-sys), and diastole (ufPWV-dia) were obtained pre- and post-exercise. In addition, carotid function measures were calculated by obtained carotid diameter and central blood pressure changes. Results: compared with pre-exercise, the reduction in post-exercise muscle strain rate and its area under the curve of 80%1RM was greater than those of 40%1RM. Both ufPWV-sys and ufPWV-dia increased regardless of exercise intensity. Baseline bicep muscle strain rate correlated not only with ufPWV-sys (r = −0.71, p = 0.001), ufPWV-dia (r = −0.74, p = 0.001), but also carotid compliance (r = 0.49, p = 0.02), distensibility (r = 0.54, p = 0.01) and ß stiffness (r= −0.84, p < 0.0001). The ufPWVs also correlated with ß stiffness (r = 0.64–0.76, p = 0.01). Conclusion: muscle stiffness measured by ultrafast ultrasound elastography increases positively with resistance exercise intensity, and it appears to correlate with carotid ufPWV and established carotid function measures in habitual resistance-trained individuals.
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Lin et al. (2021) conducted an RCT in Habitual resistance-trained individuals (n=23). Bicep curls at 80% 1RM intensity vs. Bicep curls at 40% 1RM intensity was evaluated on Muscle strain rate of bicep muscle and carotid ultrafast pulse wave velocity. Bicep curls at 80% 1RM intensity caused a greater reduction in post-exercise muscle strain rate than 40% 1RM, while baseline strain rate correlated with systolic pulse wave velocity (r=-0.71, p=0.001).
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