Gervasi Marco, Sisti Davide, Benelli Piero, Fernández-Peña Eneko, Calcabrini Cinzia, Rocchi Marco B L, Lanata Luigi, Bagnasco Michela, Tonti Andrea, Vilberto Stocchi, Sestili Piero
Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Urbino, Italy Department of Physical Education and Sport, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain Medical Department, Dompé Farmaceutici S.p.a., Milano Technical Committee of LCP Cycling Professional League, Rome, Italy.
Medicine (Baltimore). 2017 Jul;96(30):e7659. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000007659.
In professional road cyclists, the majority of overuse injuries affect the lower limbs and are mostly represented by contractures or muscle shortening, characterized by an increase of tone and stiffness and a variation of elasticity. Treatment and prevention of these specific conditions may include physical, supplementary, and pharmacologic support. The aim of this real-life study was to determine: first, the alterations of tone, stiffness, elasticity, and soreness of rectus femoris (RF) and biceps femoris (BF) in top class cyclists engaged in 3 multistage races, and second, whether any variable in the management of the athletes may affect the prevention and/or reduction of such alterations.Twenty-three professional cyclists competing in 3 international, cycling stage races were assessed. Athletes could receive, upon the approval of the medical staff, physical, dietary, and/or pharmacological management which could include treatments with topical over-the-counter myorelaxants to prevent and/or reduce muscle contractures. MyotonPro was used to daily measure tone, stiffness, and elasticity in RF and BF in relaxed and contracted state after every stage. In parallel, BF and RF soreness was also assessed with a Likert scale.All athletes received the same general massage management; none of them received dietary supplements; some of the athletes were treated with a topical myorelaxant thiocolchicoside (TCC 0.25%) foam 3 times daily. TCC was identified as the only variable able to affect these muscle parameters in the cyclists. Tone, stiffness (regardless of the state), and soreness significantly increased over time either in BF or RF in all athletes. In the group of athletes that used TCC (n = 11; TCC+) the increase in tone, stiffness, and soreness was significantly lower than in the group not receiving TCC (n = 12; No-TCC). Elasticity varied coherently with tone and stiffness.A very intense and protracted sport activity increases muscular tone, stiffness, and soreness over time. Topical TCC foam significantly attenuates these alterations and might represent an efficient strategy both to prevent and manage contractures and their consequences in professional cyclists as well in athletes from other disciplines involving similar workloads.
在职业公路自行车运动员中，大多数过度使用损伤影响下肢，主要表现为挛缩或肌肉缩短，其特征为张力和僵硬增加以及弹性变化。这些特定情况的治疗和预防可能包括物理、辅助和药物支持。这项实际研究的目的是：第一，确定参加3场多阶段比赛的顶级自行车运动员股直肌（RF）和股二头肌（BF）的张力、僵硬、弹性和酸痛的变化；第二，运动员管理中的任何变量是否会影响此类变化的预防和/或减轻。对参加3场国际自行车阶段赛的23名职业自行车运动员进行了评估。经医务人员批准，运动员可接受物理、饮食和/或药物管理，其中可能包括使用非处方外用肌松剂进行治疗，以预防和/或减轻肌肉挛缩。在每个阶段后，使用MyotonPro每日测量RF和BF在放松和收缩状态下的张力、僵硬和弹性。同时，还使用李克特量表评估BF和RF的酸痛情况。所有运动员都接受相同的常规按摩管理；他们都没有服用膳食补充剂；一些运动员每天使用外用肌松剂硫代秋水仙碱（TCC 0.25%）泡沫治疗3次。TCC被确定为唯一能够影响自行车运动员这些肌肉参数的变量。在所有运动员中，BF或RF的张力、僵硬（无论状态如何）和酸痛都会随时间显著增加。在使用TCC的运动员组（n = 11；TCC+）中，张力、僵硬和酸痛的增加明显低于未接受TCC的组（n = 12；无TCC）。弹性与张力和僵硬一致变化。一项非常激烈且持续时间长的体育活动会随着时间的推移增加肌肉张力、僵硬和酸痛。外用TCC泡沫可显著减轻这些变化，可能是预防和管理职业自行车运动员以及其他涉及类似工作量的运动项目运动员挛缩及其后果的有效策略。
