Muscular exercise improves knee position sense in humans

To determine how position sense depends on the functional state cf the receptors involved, we assessed the accuracy of knee position sense before and after a moderate exercise on a cycle ergometer, Measurements were done on 32 healthy subjects with four protocols combining two tasks (intramodal: using the contralateral leg, and crossmodal: using a scheme of a leg on a screen) and two ways of positioning (active an passive). Results showed an improved position sense after exercise with the intramodal protocol combined with active positioning of the reference leg. Whatever the mechanisms involved, enhanced motor performances after exercise can be due not only to improved mechanical properties of the muscles but also to better kinesthetic sensibility. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.