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Abstract

International Journal of Exercise Science 10(2): 258-265, 2017. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) can occur after intense exercise and remain for several days. Massage is one means by which DOMS can be reduced; however, the timing of exercise, techniques applied, and timing of application produces differing outcomes. Purpose: To evaluate the effect of a 20-minute Swedish massage immediately after strenuous exercise on DOMS. Procedures: Twenty college students engaged in two sets of a squatting exercise to fatigue and then the right or the left leg was immediately massaged. Effleurage, petrissage, friction and compression manual techniques were used for 10 minutes on the quadriceps and the 10 minutes on the hamstrings and gluteal group, so that each manual technique utilized 2.5 minutes. Participants rated their DOMS 24 and 48 hours later with a single-digit incremental numeric rating scale. Results: Delayed onset muscle soreness in the massaged leg at 24 hours was significantly lower compared to the non-massaged leg (p = .019, Cohen’s d = .56), but no significant difference at 48 hours existed between the legs (p = .097, Cohen’s d = .49). Additionally, the increase in DOMS from 24 to 48 hours was significant in the massaged leg (p = .043, Cohen’s d = .83), but a significant increase between these two time points was not evident in the non-massaged leg (p = .067, Cohen’s d = .49). Conclusions. A 20-minute Swedish massage immediately after squatting exercise is effective in attenuating DOMS after 24 hours.

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