Psychophysical Aspects of Maximal Anaerobic Performance

To the best of our knowledge, no study has investigated the balance between the endogenous anti-nociceptive properties of the individual and the anaerobic-evoke pro-nociceptive activity in determining the maximal performance during anaerobic exercise. Moreover, the interaction between psychological factors and pro- and anti- nociceptive processes that are operated during anaerobic exercise, need to be investigated. Methods: Forty healthy men and women, between the ages of 18-40 will be involved in the study. Each participant will complete 3 psychological questionnaires regarding their personality traits: Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Perceived Stress Questionnaire. Pain psychophysics tests will be used for evaluating the individual pain perception, prior and subsequent to the anaerobic exercise: (1) DNIC will be tested using a paradigm of two remote noxious stimuli with one, the 'conditioning stimulus' (immersing the hand in tub containing 8°c water), inhibiting the other, the 'test pain' (pressure pain threshold) in order to assess the endogenous analgesia (EA) efficiency (2) heat and pressure pain thresholds, and (3) temporal summation of painful heat and mechanical stimuli that reflect the neuroplasticity of the central nervous system following peripheral noxious stimulation. In addition, Anaerobic performance will be evaluated during Wingate test,and blood lactate will be measured. Gene related pain ill be tested using saliva samples .