Elevated muscle pain induced by a hypertonic saline injection reduces power output independent of physiological changes during fixed perceived effort cycling

Abstract

This study identifies that elevated muscle pain through a hypertonic saline injection causes significantly lower power output when pain is experienced but does not seem to affect exercise behavior in a residual manner. Results provide some evidence that pain operates on a psychophysiological level to alter the self-regulation of exercise behavior due to differences between conditions in cerebral deoxyhemoglobin and other perceptual parameters.