Comparison of the local and whole body vibration on preventation and treatment of delay-onset muscle soreness: A randomized clinical trial

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) that occurs after eccentric exercise can cause limitations in sports activities, especially in professional athletes. Relatively, different studies have been designed to prevent and control the consequence of the DOMS. Previous studies have confirmed the impact of local vibration (LV) and whole body vibration (WBV) to reduce the symptoms of DOMS. However, the effects of these two methods have not been compared in any study. The aim of the present research was to compare the effects of LV and WBV to prevent the symptoms of DOMS.

Forty-nine typical, non-athletic volunteers were assigned randomly into two experimental (LV and WBV) and a control groups. The VT group received 50 Hz vibration on the left and right quadriceps, hamstring and calf muscles for 1 min. The WBVT group, the intervention was one minute of vibration (35Hz) using a vibratory platform with 100° of knee flexion. The control group did not receive any intervention. Then, three groups walked downhill on a 30° declined treadmill at a speed of 4 km/hour. The DOMS symptoms (isometric maximum voluntary contraction force of quadriceps muscles, DOMS level by visual analogue scale, thigh circumference and Serum Creatine Kinase) were measured before and 48 hours after the intervention.

The WBV and LV groups showed significant changes in the DOMS symptoms in the form of less maximal isometric and voluntary strength loss, lower creatine kinase levels, and less muscle soreness (P <0 .05) compared with the control group. However, the intensity of DOMS was not significantly different between the WBV and LV groups (p>0.05).

This study showed that the LVand WBV had same effects on the DOMS symptoms. The LV procedure is more convenient and more economical to be used by the athletes, its application is recommended.