Effects of Stretching and Cold-Water Immersion on Functional Signs of Muscle Soreness Following Plyometric Training

IntroductionFor athletic peak performance, regular training programs are integral parts of aerobic training, flexibility, weight training, and sport-specific training. Interestingly, weight training or resistance training is a training program for preparing muscular system via improves strength also muscular endurance. Especially, eccentric training exercise produces greater gains in muscle hypertrophy, strength and neuromuscular adaptation compared with isometric and concentric training exercise.According to strenuous resistance training and plyometric training program for muscular power performance, which involves the stretch and recoil characteristics of skeletal muscle for sports that require powerful, propulsive movement that contributes to delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS). DOMS, one of the most common types of muscle pain is identified by a dull and aching pain, which begin 8-24 hours post exercise, and increases in intensity, it peaks at 24-72 hours and subsides within 5-7 days post exercise on individuals following unaccustomed exercise involving eccentric contractions during preseason training (Armstrong 1984; Connolly, Sayers & Mchugh, 2003). Other functional signs associated with DOMS are comprising of swelling, and loss in muscle strength. Therefore, it was due to interrupted muscle functional performance, and also was be a risk factor of unexpected injury and deconditioning of training or exercise.According to Gremion G (2005), static stretching has become a popularly and safely used for muscle recovery method in competitive sport and prevention muscular injury. It is contribute to reduce pain perception, edema, muscle spasm (i.e. from pain- muscle spasm cycle), and also increase muscle elongation after induced muscle damage from eccentric exercise (Dain & Declan, 2006; Torres, Appell & Duart, 2007; Covert et al., 2007) . However, research examining about this is equivocal; some studies have shown no any change in the signs of muscle damage following stretching (Wessel & Wan, 1994; Maxwell et al., 1988; Herbert & Gabriel, 2002). Interestingly, cryotherapy is one of the treatments commonly used to alleviate DOMS because it is contribute to reduce inflammation, tissue metabolism, pain sensation, edema, local blood flow, and muscle spasm. Attractively, one of the most efficient techniques for relieving DOMS is cold-water immersion (CWI) (Howatson, Goodall & Someren, 2009). It is a popular, convenient, a low cost and a simple method with advocated by hydrostatic pressure principle in reducing muscle tone, local swelling, soreness sensation, and also providing muscle blood flow. Significant reductions in soreness sensation of DOMS after CWI have been reported (Glasgow, Ferris & Bleakley, 2014; Junior et al., 2014; Scott et al., 2004; Vaile et al., 2010; Bailey et al., 2007; Ingram et al.,2009). By the way, these results have been inconsistency effect on muscle soreness sensation and muscle performance yet (Sellwood et al., 2007; Jakeman, Macrae & Eston, 2009; Howatson, Goodall & Someren, 2009; Goodall & Howatson, 2008; Torres et al., 2012). In addition, the majority of researches about effects of stretching or CWI alone on DOMS has received results controversy, inappropriate method protocol, and used small sample sizes, which limited the statistical power. However, the stretching is a popular, convenient, a low cost and be a simple active recovery method with advocated by reduce muscle stiffness and the CWI one is an effective optional recovery way, but it was influentially applied actions by hydrostatic pressure and analgesia power. By the way, it has not found any research comparison additional combine effects of stretching and CWI on functional signs of DOMS that it would be gain insight in these effects for DOMS management.Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of static stretching, CWI and the combine treatments between static stretching and CWI on functional signs of muscle soreness of knee extensors following stimulated plyometric exercise in Thai male for being the optional ways and application to promote maximal athletic performance during pre-season training, which has done the same as a training program or sport likes this protocol. …