The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of blood flow restriction training(BFRT), aerobic training(AERT), and rest(CON) on muscle recovery following delayed onset muscle soreness(DOMS) in male college students. Sixteen healthy male pa...
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of blood flow restriction training(BFRT), aerobic training(AERT), and rest(CON) on muscle recovery following delayed onset muscle soreness(DOMS) in male college students. Sixteen healthy male participants in their twenties were randomly assigned to the BFRT group(n=6), AERT group(n=5), CON(n=5). DOMS was induced in the quadriceps muscle using eccentric resistance exercise. Muscle recovery was assessed using median frequency(MF) of surface electromyography, muscle activation relative to maximal voluntary contraction(%MVC), and pain perception measured by a visual analogue scale(VAS). Measurements were conducted at baseline and 24h, 48h, 72h, 96h, 120h following DOMS induction.
Two-way mixed analysis of variance revealed significant main effects of time for MF, %MVC, and VAS in all muscles(p<.05), indicating a general recovery pattern over time following DOMS. No significant main effects of group were observed for any variable. However, significant time × group interaction effects were found for %MVC in the rectus femoris and vastus lateralis muscles. Post hoc analysis showed that the AERT group demonstrated significant increases in %MVC at Day 5 and Day 6 compared with Day 3 in the rectus femoris(p<.05). Although no statistically significant differences were observed in the BFRT group, a gradual increase in muscle activation was observed, particularly in the vastus lateralis. Pain perception decreased significantly over time in all groups, with the control group, although these differences were not statistically significant.
In conclusion, muscle recovery following DOMS differed depending on the evaluation indicator and muscle examined. Aerobic training showed a significant improvement in muscle activation of the rectus femoris, while blood flow restriction training demonstrated a favorable recovery trend without impairing neuromuscular function. These findings suggest that active recovery strategies may facilitate functional recovery after DOMS and that different intervention methods may influence recovery patterns depending on the physiological outcome measured.