Ilham, Iit Selviani, Firda Azzahra, Fadillah Teressa, Muliya Safitri, Bekir Erhan Orhan, Vlad Adrian Geantă
Background: Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) refers to micro-injuries in skeletal muscle fibers resulting from excessive mechanical stress during exercise. This leads to inflammation of the muscles, resulting in pain and stiffness. Purpose: This study aims to investigate (1) the differences between eccentric exercise and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching regarding flexibility levels and their effects on pain reduction in DOMS; (2) the differences in pain reduction between individuals with high versus low flexibility levels; and (3) the interaction between exercise therapy methods (eccentric exercise and PNF) and flexibility levels on pain reduction in DOMS. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was adopted, and a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used. The study recruited participants via purposive sampling, where diverse features defined the inclusion criterion and provided written consent for all research phases. Sixty male participants were divided into four groups: A1B1, A1B2, A2B1, and A2B2. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (hypothesis testing) through Microsoft Excel, Origin Pro 18, and SPSS 25. DOMS was induced, and treatment sessions were delivered in five sets per session at 24, 48, and 72 hours over a week. Pain intensity was evaluated using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Results: 1) The results showed that DOMS pain had reduced more with eccentric exercise than PNF with an F-interaction value of 96.494, the p-value, (0.000) < 0.05 significance level. The mean pain reduction score in eccentric exercise was 6.30, while that recorded for the PN F group was 4.10. 2) There were also significant differences in pain reduction between high and low flexibility levels, as indicated by an F-value (F_inter_B) of 25.608 with a p-value of 0.000 (p < 0.05). The mean pain reduction in individuals with high flexibility was 5.77, compared to 4.63 for those with low flexibility. 3) A significant interaction was found between exercise therapy methods and flexibility levels in reducing muscle soreness, with an interaction F-value (F_inter_AB) of 12.759 and a p-value of 0.001 (p < 0.05). Conclusion: These results demonstrate that eccentric exercise is more effective in reducing DOMS pain than PNF stretching. Additionally, individuals with higher flexibility levels experience more significant pain reduction compared to those with lower flexibility. The results obtained in this study show a therapeutic exercise that trainers and physical therapists can use. © 2024, Editura Universitatii din Pitesti. All rights reserved.
Department of Health and Recreation, Faculty of Sports Science, Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia; Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Sports Science, Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia; Faculty of Sports Sciences, Istanbul Aydın University, Istanbul, Türkiye; Doctoral School of Sport Science and Physical Education, National University of Science and Technology Polyethnic Bucharest-Pitesti University Center, Romania; Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Romania
