Effectiveness of stretching on Exercise Induced DOMS

OUTLINE
Introduction Signs and symptoms of DOMS Proposed mechanisms for DOMS Treatment strategies Stretching as a Treatment Measure

Literature review discussion Limitation of studies done in past onc!usion "uture research ideas

INTRODUCTION
Stretching # prior to or after

engaging in physica! activities such as sport Purpose$

reduce the ris% of in&ury' reduce soreness after exercise' or enhance ath!etic performance(

)im$ Loo%ing at the effectiveness

of stretching on exercise#induced de!ayed onset musc!e soreness *DOMS+(

DOMS
Discomfort in the musc!es

that occurs from a,out -. hours after exercise exertion and pea%s at . days after the exercise session( Eccentric exercise causes more damage than concentric exercise E(g(' running downhi!!' the downward part of s/uats

Sign 0 Symptoms of DOMS

tenderness or stiffness to pa!pation or

movement associated !oss of strength' !oss of 1OM and swe!!ing of the invo!ved muscu!ature( 2y !ea% and Eston' -33. ompromised ath!etic performance

Proposed Model for DOMS

Ear!ier'

!ea% and Eston 4-33.5

Lactic acid Musc!e Spasm

6ow' Proposed

Mode!

Treatment Strategies
anti#inf!ammatory medications massage e!ectrica! stimu!ation u!trasound accupressure cryotherapy repeat ,out exercise Stretc ing

Stretc ing
onsidered to ,e an integra! part of any exercise program or sports( ommon c!inica! practice prevent in&uries ,y improving f!exi,i!ity and enhance performance urrent scientific researches doesn7t support the notion( )cute effects of stretching detrimenta! effects on performance and musc!e soreness * "ow!es et a!('.8889 :ui!!ory et a!(' .88- +
Topic of contro!ers"

Stretc ing # DOMS

Static stretching # pre or post#exercise

recommended as a preventative measure of DOMS as it is thought to re!ieve the musc!e spasm descri,ed in de ;ries7 musc!e spasm theory *<esse! =(' <an )(' -33>+(
2o,,ert et a!(4-3?@5 # the post#exercise static

stretching of sore musc!es cou!d a!so force the dispersion of edema which accumu!ates fo!!owing tissue damage(

Stretc ing # DOMS

In .88.' Aer,ert and :a,rie! pu,!ished a

meta#ana!ysis of studies that measured the effect of stretching either immediate!y ,efore or after exercise on musc!e soreness( Identified five reports of sufficient /ua!ity to merit ana!ysis( The papers ana!yBed de!ayed#onset musc!e soreness at .>' >? and C. h after exercise( Overa!!' stretc ing ad no significant effect on soreness(

Stretc ing # DOMS

opyright D.88. 2M= Pu,!ishing :roup Ltd(

$er%ert& R' et al' (M) *++*,-*./012

Stretc ing # DOMS

Study ,y La1oche and

onno!!y 4.88@5 #su,&ects to undergo > wee%s of passive or ,a!!istic stretching of the hamstrings
fai!ed to detect any effect on DOMS fo!!owing

eccentric exercise of the hamstrings(

Investigation conducted ,y Smith 4-33>5

to determine if ,a!!istic stretching cou!d induce

significant!y higher !eve!s of de!ayed onset musc!e soreness 4DOMS5 than static stretching( ontrary to expected resu!ts' static stretching induced higher DOMS !eve!s than ,a!!istic stretching(

Stretc ing # DOMS

1ather than emp!oying stretches ,efore

soreness#inducing exercise' 1eisman et a!( 4.88E5 # tested the effects of passive!y stretching a!ready#sore e!,ow f!exor musc!es on su,se/uent soreness(
"ound that five passive extensions of the sore

e!,ow f!exors temporaril" reduced soreness sensations in those musc!es(

Stretc ing # DOMS

ochrane 1eview ,y Aer,ert 1(' 0 de 6oronha'

M(' 4.88C5
-8 re!evant randomiBed tria!s Loo%ing at the effect of stretching ,efore or

after physica! activity on musc!e soreness( 6ine were conducted in !a,oratories using standardiBed exercises( On!y one study examined the effect of stretching on musc!e soreness after sport(

Stretc ing # DOMS

Three of the studies examined the effects of

stretching ,efore physica! activity and Seven examined effects of stretching after physica! activity( Duration of stretching app!ied in a sing!e session ranged from >8 to @88 seconds( The -8 studies showed that there was minima! or no effect on the musc!e soreness experienced ,etween ha!f a day and three days after the physica! activity(

Stretc ing # DOMS

"indings of poo!ed estimate$
The effects of stretching reported in individua!

studies were !er" small and there was a high degree of consistency of resu!ts across studies( Pre#exercise stretching reduced soreness one day after exercise ,y' on average' 8(E points on a -88# point sca!e( Post#exercise stretching reduced soreness one day after exercise ,y' on average' -(8 points on a -88#point sca!e( Simi!ar effects were evident ,etween ha!f a day and three days after exercise(

Conclusions
The evidence derived from !a,oratory#

,ased studies of stretching indicate that musc!e stretching does not reduce de!ayed#onset musc!e soreness(

Limitations
)!! studies were sma!! # ,etween -8 and

F8 participants received the stretch condition(

3uture Researc Ideas

The definitive study on stretching remains to ,e

done(

It shou!d convey c!ear!y

the definition of the construct 4i(e(' what t"pe of

stretching routines are ,eing recommended5' 4 PN3 stretc ing

the effective GdoseH of the intervention 4i(e(' how

much stretching is re/uired to ma%e a difference5'

the optima! timing of the exercise 4i(e(' ,efore or

after activity or perhaps at some other point5' and

the specific target population 4e(g(' runners vs(

other defined popu!ations of ath!etes5(

References
)rro!!' 2( 4.88F5( 1eview$ stretching ,efore or after exercise

does not prevent musc!e soreness or reduce ris% of in&ury( Evidence Based Medicine. .E4?5' E>#EE(

2o,,ert' M(' Ao!!ander' )(' and' Aui&ing' P('4-3?@5( "actors in de!ayed onset muscu!ar soreness of man( Medicine and science in sports and exercise. -?4-5' CE#?-( !ea%' M( and' Eston' 1(' 4-33.5( De!ayed onset musc!e soreness$ mechanisms and management( Journal of sports sciences . -84>5' F.E#>-( exercise( Res Q. F.'-CC#-?E(

De;ries' A(' 4-3@-5( Prevention of muscu!ar distress after De;ries A(' 4-3@-5( E!ectromyographic o,servations of the

effects of static stretching upon muscu!ar distress( Res Q' F.' >@?#>C3(

References
"ow!es' =(' MacDouga!!' =(' Tarnopo!s%y' M(' Sa!e' D(' 1oy' 2('

and' Iarashes%i' J('4.8885( The effects of acute passive stretch on musc!e protein synthesis in humans( Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology( .E4F5' -@E#?8(
Aer,ert 1(' and' de 6oronha' M('4.88C5( Stretching to prevent or

reduce musc!e soreness after exercise( Cochrane Data ase of !yste"atic Revie#s( Issue >( )rt( 6o($ D88>ECC( DOI$-8(-88.K->@E-?E?( D88>ECC(pu,.(
Aer,ert' 1(' and' :a,rie!' M(' 4.88.5( Effects of stretching ,efore

and after exercising on musc!e soreness and ris% of in&ury$ systematic review( British Medical Journal( F.E' >@?>C8(
La1oche' D(' and'

onno!!y' D(' 4.88@5 Effects of stretching on passive musc!e tension and response to eccentric exercise( $he A"erican Journal of !ports Medicine. F>4@5'-888#-88C(

References
Smith

('4-33>5( The warm#up procedure$ to stretch or not to stretch$ ) ,rief review( Journal of %rthopedics !ports Physical $herapy.-3'-.#-C(

<esse!' =(' <an' )(' 4-33>5( Effect of Stretching on the Intensity

of De!ayed#Onset Musc!e Soreness( Clinical Journal of !port Medicine( >'?F#?C(

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