Influence of moderate intensity physical activity levels and gender on conditioned pain modulation

This study examined the potential influence of moderate intensity physical activity (PA) levels and gender on central pain modulation using conditioned pain modulation (CPM) in healthy men and women. Twenty four individuals (12 men and 12 women) who reported engaging in the moderate intensity PA for 150 min or more per week and 24 individuals (12 men and 12 women) who reported engaging in moderate intensity PA for 60 min or less per week completed a self-report PA questionnaire and a 7-day PA assessment using an accelerometer. Furthermore, the participants completed the CPM testing to evaluate the efficiency of central pain modulation. The active individuals scored higher on the PA questionnaire and spent more minutes for light, lifestyle, moderate and vigorous intensity PA than the less active individuals. The active men and women exhibited comparable magnitudes of CPM, and showed a greater magnitude of CPM when compared to their less active counterparts. However, these beneficial effects of higher dose moderate intensity PA disappeared when time spent for vigorous intensity PA was statistically controlled for. These results suggest that the higher dose moderate intensity PA does not add to the benefits from vigorous intensity PA to further improve central pain modulatory systems.