Muscle changes with eccentric exercise: implications on Earth and in space.

The effects of eccentric exercise on skeletal muscle fluid pressure, morphology, and enzyme activities are reviewed. Topics related to muscle injury are the exercise protocol, intramuscular pressures, muscle soreness, resting intramuscular pressures, peak pressure during eccentric and concentric exercise, and peak pressure during isometric contractions. Enzyme activity examined levels of serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, lactic dehydrogenase, and serum creatine kinase. Muscle morphology was examined with light microscopy and electron microscopy. Implications for exercise in space are examined.