Effect of acute leg cycling on the soleus H-reflex and modified Ashworth scale scores in individuals with multiple sclerosis

This study examined the effect of a single bout of unloaded leg cycling on the soleus H-reflex and modified Ashworth scale (MAS) in 27 individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) who had spasticity of the leg muscles, but were not currently taking anti-spastic medications. The soleus H-reflex and MAS data were collected before and 10, 30, and 60 min after 20 min of unloaded leg cycling and a control condition. The acute bout of unloaded leg cycling resulted in concomitant and prolonged reductions in the soleus H-reflex and MAS scores compared with the control condition. This provides converging evidence for the anti-spastic potential of acute unloaded leg cycling in individuals with MS.