Low intensity pain reported during elicitation of the H-reflex: No effects of trait anxiety and high intensity cycling exercise

The aims of the experiment were to describe the intensity of pain perceptions experienced in response to elicitation of the H-reflex and examine the roles of trait anxiety and high intensity cycling exercise on those pain responses. Males (n=24) with high (n=12) or low (n=12) trait anxiety provided ratings of pain intensity in response to elicitation of the H-reflex before and after: resting for 20 min, cycling for 20 min at a high intensity (75% of peak oxygen consumption), or cycling for 20 min at a low intensity (40% of peak oxygen consumption). The results indicated that (i) low intensity pain was experienced during the elicitation of the H-reflex; (ii) high trait anxious males did not report more pain during the elicitation of the H-reflex, and (iii) there was no effect of high intensity cycling exercise on reducing post-exercise pain intensity associated with H-reflex elicitation. It is concluded that elicitation of the H-reflex reliably results in a low intensity pain.