Variability in Estimating Eccentric Contraction-Induced Muscle Damage and Inflammation in Humans

We studied five young healthy volunteers who performed a "damage protocol" consisting of 240 (24 sets x 10 repetitions/set) maximal isokinetic eccentric muscle contractions (30 degrees/s) on each leg one week apart. Biopsies were taken from the vastus lateralis on two occasions. Two biopsies were taken from within the same muscle 24h following the damage protocol. On a second occasion a single biopsy was taken from the contralateral leg at 24h …