Background:

The study of functional impact of delayed onset muscle soreness has been limited to describe the decline on maximal isometric contraction, but muscular work and time to peak torque has not been examined yet.

Purpose:

To describe the changes induced by a session of lengthening contractions on muscle performance and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

Methods:

A quasi-experimental study was conducted in the Institutional laboratory; Twenty healthy men; mean age 21 SD 0.34 were recruited, all subjects performed 200 lengthening contractions of the quadriceps at 120°/s. Isometric and isokinetic peak torque, muscular work, time to peak torque, DOMS and creatine kinase activity were assessed at baseline, 48 h and 96 h post-exercise. The muscle performance was assessed with an isokinetic dynamometer and DOMS with a visual analog scale (VAS).

Results:

Relative to baseline, isometric and isokinetic peak torque and muscular work decreased in ~30% at 48 h post-exercise; delayed onset muscle soreness increased ~300%, which remained at 96 h post-exercise.

Conclusions:

These reflect that the decline in muscular performance is due to the changes in peak torque and muscular work, which has greater implications on muscle function. No changes were detected in time to peak torque. The alterations in muscular performance variables are accompanied by delayed onset muscle soreness which has also a negative impact on force production (29% of the drop on peak torque is explain by soreness intensity).