The Effect of Contrast Water Therapy on Symptoms of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

Abstract

Vaile, J.M., N.D. Gill, and A.J. Blazevich. The effect of contrast water therapy on symptoms of delayed onset muscle soreness. J. Strength Cond. Res. 21 (2): 697-702. 2007.-This study examined the effect of contrast water therapy (CWT) on the physiological and functional symptoms of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) following DOMS-inducing leg press exercise. Thirteen recreational athletes performed 2 experimental trials separated by 6 weeks in a randomized crossover design. On each occasion, subjects performed a DOMS-inducing leg press protocol consisting of 5 ϫ 10 eccentric contractions (180 seconds recovery between sets) at 140% of 1 repetition maximum (1RM). This was followed by a 15-minute recovery period incorporating either CWT or no intervention, passive recovery (PAS). Creatine kinase concentration (CK), perceived pain, thigh volume, isometric squat strength, and weighted jump squat performance were measured prior to the eccentric exercise, immediately post recovery, and 24, 48, and 72 hours post recovery. Isometric force production was not reduced below baseline measures throughout the 72-hour data collection period following CWT (ഠ4-10%). However, following PAS, isometric force production (mean Ϯ SD) was 14.8 Ϯ 11.4% below baseline immediately post recovery (p Ͻ 0.05), 20.8 Ϯ 15.6% 24 hours post recovery (p Ͻ 0.05), and 22.5 Ϯ 12.3% 48 hours post recovery (p Ͻ 0.05). Peak power produced during the jump squat was significantly reduced (p Ͻ 0.05) following both PAS (20.9 Ϯ 13.4%) and CWT (12.8 Ϯ 8.0%), with the mean reduction in power for PAS being marginally (not significantly) greater than for CWT (effect size ϭ 0.76). Thigh volume measured immediately following CWT was significantly less than PAS. No significant differences in the changes in CK were found; in addition, there were no significant (p Ͼ 0.01) differences in perceived pain between treatments. Contrast water therapy was associated with a smaller reduction, and faster restoration, of strength and power measured by isometric force and jump squat production following DOMS-inducing leg press exercise when compared to PAS. Therefore, CWT seems to be effective in reducing and improving the recovery of functional deficiencies that result from DOMS, as opposed to passive recovery.

Curcumin supplementation likely attenuates delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)

“…Including a measurement at 72 h post-exercise would have added to the rigour of this research as muscle soreness following heavy eccentric exercise can last up to 4 days. Prior studies on treatment for DOMS have shown a drop-off in pain postexercise levels by 72 h (Vaile et al 2008a;Sellwood et al 2007) and this was the rationale for the last measurement at 48 h. We chose a heavy eccentric exercise model shown to induce muscle trauma inflammation (Vaile et al 2007(Vaile et al , 2008a because it provided a proof-of-principle model. However, we clearly acknowledge that not all sports or physical activities have heavy eccentric contraction components (e.g.…”

“…1). An eccentric loading protocol developed previously was used to induce DOMS (Vaile et al 2007(Vaile et al , 2008a. 120 % of the one repetition maximum was calculated on day one of the study and used for the weight lowered eccentrically.…”

“…1RM was performed on each leg individually and each participant completed all 7 sets. The same protocol has been used to induce DOMS previously (Vaile et al 2007(Vaile et al , 2008a. During each eccentric contraction the load was resisted with the allocated leg from full knee extension to 90° angle of knee flexion with the eccentric contraction lasting for 3-5 s duration.…”

“…The VAS was a horizontal 10 cm line, marked with 1-10 with the terminal descriptors no pain and severe pain as used previously to monitor changes in perceived pain following muscle damaging protocols (Vaile et al 2007(Vaile et al , 2008aSellwood et al 2007;Johansson et al 1999;Cleak and Eston 1992;Harrison et al 2001). Pain was rated for single-leg squat, walking downstairs, passive stretch of the quadriceps, passive stretch of the gluteals and singleleg vertical jump.…”

“…Muscle damage and inflammation Serum samples were obtained for CK activity, as a marker of muscle damage (Vaile et al 2007;Eston and Peters 1999), and for candidate curcumin-modulated inflammatory markers IL-6 and TNF-alpha (Davis et al 2007;Thaloor et al 1999;Maheshwari et al 2006). Blood samples were collected in 9-ml serum separator tubes, left to clot, then spun at 4500 RPM for 5 min, with resulting serum aliquoted into four, 2 ml cryotubes and frozen immediately at −80 °C until analysis.…”