Battle of the Sexes: Differences in Pain Perception Post-Eccentric Exercise

• Published in: Journal of exercise physiology online 2022-06, Vol.25 (3), p.106
• Main Authors: Vargas, Leonel, Czartoryski, Paulina, Evans, Cassandra, Rusterholz, Flavia, Antonio, Jose, Jiannine, Lia, Curtis, Jason, Rojas, Jose, Santana, Juan Carlos, Mekhail, Veronica
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Female-male relations; Gender differences; Muscle pain; Muscles
• ISSN: 1097-9751; 1097-9751

Evans C, Curtis J, Mekhail V, Jiannine L, Czartoryski P, Rojas J, Rusterholz F, Vargas L, Santana JC, Antonio J. Battle of the Sexes: Differences in Pain Perception Post-Eccentric Exercise. JEPonline 2022;25(3):106-114. The purpose of this study was to assess sex differences in skeletal muscle pain/soreness following a bout of eccentric loading of the non-dominant arm of exercise-trained subjects. A total of 39 exercise-trained men (n = 20) and women (n = 19) participated in this study. The subjects completed 75 eccentric repetitions of elbow flexion of the non-dominant arm at 60% of their estimated 1-repetition maximum (1-RM). Following completion of the delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) protocol, the following assessments were performed: (a) self-reported feelings of soreness; and (b) soreness via algometer and muscle circumference. Significant sex differences were reported in peak perceived soreness (48 hours peak perceived soreness: males 5.1 [+ or -] 4.1, females 0.8 [+ or -] 3.7, P=0.0166; 72 hours peak perceived soreness: males 4.1 [+ or -] 4.6, -0.4 [+ or -] 3.9, P=0.0409). The findings indicate that the women perceived less muscle pain than the men following a bout of eccentric exercise of the non-dominant elbow flexor muscles. Key Words: Gender, Pain, Recovery, Soreness