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L i s te n to T h e A B M P Po d c a s t a t a b m p.co m /p o d c a s t s o r w h e reve r yo u a cce s s yo u r favo r i te p o d c a s t s 13 ICING MUSCLE INJURIES MAY DELAY RECOVERY Icing is one of the most common treatments for acute muscle injuries. However, previous studies on rodents have demonstrated detrimental effects of icing on muscle regeneration following injury. A new study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology aimed to examine exactly what factors are involved in the impairment of muscle regeneration from icing. In the study, muscle damage was induced on mice through electrical stimulation causing eccentric contraction. The damaged muscles were harvested, and ice was applied on top of the skin over three 30-minute sessions per day, with each session two hours apart. The treatment was applied for two days. After comparing the icing group with a non-icing control group, researchers found that the ratio of small regenerating fibers to total (i.e., medium and large) regenerating fibers was higher in icing-treated animals than in untreated animals, suggesting that skeletal muscle regeneration may be delayed as a result of icing. The authors conclude: "These findings suggest that icing following muscle damage blunts the efficiency of muscle regeneration by perturbing the removal of necrotic myofibers and phenotypic dynamics of macrophages rather than affecting myogenic factors." Read the full study online at https://doi.org/10.1152/ japplphysiol.01069.2020. NEWS NOTES 5-MINUTE BREATHING EXERCISE LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE AS MUCH AS EXERCISE OR DRUGS A new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association demonstrates the strongest evidence to date that a breathing workout known as high-resistance inspiratory muscle strength training (IMST) can help lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health in adults. Researchers performed a double-blind, randomized, sham- controlled trial to investigate the effects of six weeks of IMST (30 breaths/day, six days/week) on blood pressure, endothelial function, and arterial stiffness in midlife/older adults (aged 50–79 years) with systolic blood pressure higher than 120 mm Hg. For the study, 36 participants practiced either high-intensity IMST or low-intensity sham training, and researchers documented the results. IMST was shown to have beneficial effects across a range of biomarkers, including systolic blood pressure and brachial artery flow- mediated dilation. The study concludes that high-resistance IMST is a safe, highly adherable lifestyle intervention for improving blood pressure and endothelial function in midlife/older adults with above-normal initial systolic blood pressure. Read the study online at https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.121.020980. MOST PATIENTS HAVE A POSITIVE VIEW OF CBD AS A TREATMENT FOR PAIN The widespread acceptance and availability of CBD has increased in recent years, making it a popular choice for patients who want to address a variety of ailments. In a new survey published in the Journal of Pain Research, researchers set out to examine "participants' attitudes and views toward cannabis-based medicine (CBM) with a focus on perception of CBD and its potential role for pain management." A total of 253 participants from seven pain management clinics in Southern California were surveyed to learn about their knowledge, beliefs, and personal experience with CBD products. Among these participants, 62 percent reported having tried a CBD product. Seventy-one percent reported believing CBD was a good treatment option, 75 percent reported believing CBD was "not harmful," and 65 percent reported believing it was "not addictive." Overall, the survey found that most participants expressed a positive attitude about CBD products and reported positive outcomes from CBD for a variety of conditions. Read the full text of the article at https://doi.org/10.2147/ JPR.S278718.