Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2024, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (11): 1762-1766.doi: 10.12307/2024.231

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Delayed onset muscle soreness and exercise-induced skeletal muscle memory

Bai Zhengrong1, 2, Sun Yu3, Zhang Zhenxian1, Pan Shinong2   

  1. 1Department of CT Diagnosis, Yan’an People’s Hospital, Yan’an 716000, Shaanxi Province, China; 2Department of Radiology, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110000, Liaoning Province, China; 3The First Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou 121000, Liaoning Province, China
  • Received:2022-12-21 Accepted:2023-04-08 Online:2024-04-18 Published:2023-07-27
  • Contact: Pan Shinong, Professor, Department of Radiology, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110000, Liaoning Province, China
  • About author:Bai Zhengrong, MD candidate, Associate chief physician, Department of CT Diagnosis, Yan’an People’s Hospital, Yan’an 716000, Shaanxi Province, China; Department of Radiology, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110000, Liaoning Province, China
  • Supported by:
    Key Research & Development Project of Xi’an City (General Project), No. 2021YF-08 (to BZR)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Unaccustomed exercise triggers skeletal muscle damage, but produces a specific training effect that reduces muscle re-injury to reduce pain - muscle memory.
OBJECTIVE: Based on the etiology of delayed onset muscle soreness, to review the existence and possible mechanism of skeletal muscle memory in delayed onset muscle soreness and to present new insights into the prevention and treatment of delayed onset muscle soreness.
METHODS: The first author searched in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI and WanFang databases for relevant literature published from January 1990 to December 2022. The keywords were “DOMS, skeletal muscle memory, exercise skeletal muscle adaptation, repeat turn effect, exercise and autophagy, autophagy and inflammation” in English and Chinese, respectively. A total of 102 articles were finally included for review.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The etiology of delayed onset muscle soreness is currently believed to be an acute inflammatory response due to metabolic disorders, mechanical injury and oxidative stress, while exercise-induced skeletal muscle memory can reduce delayed onset muscle soreness and exercise re-injury. When the duration, frequency and intensity of centrifugal training are gradually increased, symptoms of the injury can be minimized or even avoided. Therefore, based on the mechanism of exercise-induced skeletal muscle memory, it is the future research direction to find more effective ways to prevent and alleviate exercise-induced muscle injury. This review aims to (1) clarify the existence of exercise-induced skeletal muscle memory; (2) explore the possible mechanisms of exercise-induced skeletal muscle memory and propose the relationship between this memory and skeletal muscle autophagy; and (3) provide new strategies for the prevention and treatment of delayed onset muscle soreness by improving the level of skeletal muscle autophagy.

Key words: exercise-induced muscle injury, delayed onset muscle soreness, skeletal muscle memory, skeletal muscle adaptation, repeated bout effect, exercise-autophagy, autophagy-inflammation

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