Whole-body vibration decreases delayed onset muscle soreness following eccentric exercise in elite hockey players: a randomised controlled trial

Harold Akehurst,Dylan Morrissey,Filippo Migliorini,Manuela Angioi,Nicola Maffulli,John E Grice

doi:10.1186/s13018-021-02760-4

Abstract

BackgroundDelayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a common non-structural muscle injury which can disrupt training and impair performance in elite athletes. Vibration therapy reduces inflammation and improves neuromuscular efficiency, leading to reductions in pain and stiffness, and may be effective for the prevention or treatment of DOMS. However, the effect of whole-body vibration (WBV) used after sport in elite athletes has not been reported.MethodsA randomised, controlled trial was performed. Participants were elite (national or international level) hockey players and underwent an eccentric exercise protocol previously shown to produce clinical DOMS. After exercise, one group underwent static stretching with WBV therapy, and the other performed stretching only. Baseline and serial post-exercise pain scores and measurements of quadriceps tightness were obtained.ResultsEleven participants were recruited into each study arm. There were no significant differences in baseline group characteristics. Participants receiving WBV had significant reductions in both pain (p = 0.04) and quadriceps tightness (p = 0.02) compared with stretching only.ConclusionsPost-exercise WBV is effective in elite hockey players to reduce DOMS after eccentric exercise. Elite athletes in multi-sprint sports are at risk of DOMS during training and competition, and its reduction could contribute to reduced injury risk and improved performance. This treatment modality is favourable because it can be incorporated with minimal disruption into the recovery section of existing training regimes. These findings may also be extrapolated to other multi-sprint sports.

Highlights

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a common non-structural muscle injury which can disrupt training and impair performance in elite athletes
Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) was described in 1900 by Hough, who reported soreness and loss of function developing around 12 h after exercise and lasting
The primary aim of this study was to assess whether whole-body vibration (WBV)-administered post-eccentric exercise is more effective to reduce DOMS in elite hockey players than static stretching

Summary

Introduction

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a common non-structural muscle injury which can disrupt training and impair performance in elite athletes. Vibration therapy reduces inflammation and improves neuromuscular efficiency, leading to reductions in pain and stiffness, and may be effective for the prevention or treatment of DOMS. A number of methods of prevention or treatment of DOMS have been investigated, including massage [10], cryotherapy [11], active recovery [12], homeopathy [13], acupuncture [14], TEN [15], ultrasound [16], non-steroidal anti-inflammatories [17], steroids [18], vitamin C and antioxidants [19], but consensus support for any single method remains to be established [2] (Table 1). The acute effects of vibration include reduced inflammation, reduced pain, increased flexibility, increased

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