The respiratory response to passive and active arm movements is enhanced in delayed onset muscle soreness.

We previously reported that ventilatory response at the onset of light leg exercise was augmented in delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) after eccentric exercise (ECC) utilizing the leg. In this study, we examined whether the same result would appear in light exercise in which an arm with DOMS was utilized. Eleven subjects performed ECC using one arm, and we measured ventilatory responses to a 20-s single-arm extension-flexion exercise and to passive movement (PAS) before and 2 days after ECC (D2). We found that ventilatory response to both the exercise and PAS in which all subjects perceived DOMS was augmented at D2. It was concluded that initial hyperpnea, which occurred during arm exercise in DOMS, was enhanced, and from examining the result of PAS, enhanced initial exercise hyperpnea may be due in part to an exaggerated peripheral neural reflex.