The Effects of Therapeutic Modalities on Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness and Metrics of Force

Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a mild to severe discomfort often caused by eccentric activity or unfamiliar stimuli that manifests 24-72 hours after activity. Symptoms of DOMS include muscle soreness, stiffness, tenderness, and loss of range of motion. One method to reduce these symptoms is through compressions. This study involves air compressions and a muscle damaging exercise to produce DOMS. Studies show that compression treatment relieves various levels of pain allowing subjects to recover and improve or excel in sports or physical related activities by reducing inflammation, swelling, pain, and enhancing functional training.This study was a randomized, controlled trial occurring over two days. Subject’s muscular force and power were tested in the isometric mid-thigh pull and squat jump at baseline. Subjects then completed 50 repetitions of drop jumps to promote DOMS. DOMS was measured on a scale of 1-10. Subjects then either received 15 minutes of lower body air compression or sat quietly for 15 minutes. Mid-thigh pull, squat jump, and ratings of DOMS were measured 24 hours later. Data will be analyzed with a mixed factorial ANOVA. I hypothesize that subject’s that receive air compressions will produce higher force and power outputs and report a lower rate of DOMS 24 compared to the control group