Posterior Chain Responses to Gastrocnemius DOMS

Ebru Aloğlu Çiftçi

Status: Completed

Conditions: Healthy; Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)

Treatments: Other: Gastrocnemius DOMS Induction Protocol

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07324395

GDYY01

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn how delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in the calf muscle (gastrocnemius) affects the muscles of the posterior chain and physical performance in healthy young adults. The main questions the study aims to answer are:

Does DOMS in the calf muscle change the biomechanical properties (tone, stiffness, elasticity) of other muscles in the posterior chain?

Does DOMS lower trunk endurance, muscle strength, balance, or jump performance?

Participants will:

Take part in a gastrocnemius exercise protocol designed to safely create DOMS

Complete repeated assessments at baseline, immediately after exercise, and at 24, 48, and 72 hours

Have their muscle properties measured with a handheld device

Complete trunk endurance tests, muscle strength tests, balance tests, and a vertical jump test

Provide a blood sample to measure creatine kinase (a marker of muscle damage)

This research may help clinicians better understand how soreness in one muscle can influence the whole posterior chain and may guide safer training and recovery strategies.

Full description

This prospective repeated-measures clinical trial includes healthy adults aged 18-25 years. DOMS will be induced using a standardized exercise protocol targeting the gastrocnemius muscle. Outcome measures will be collected at five time points: baseline, immediately after the DOMS-inducing exercise, and 24, 48, and 72 hours post-exercise.

Primary outcomes include muscle biomechanical properties such as muscle tone, stiffness, elasticity, relaxation, and creep, measured using a digital myotonometer. Trunk endurance is also assessed as a primary outcome because of the posterior chain's role in load transfer and stabilization.

Secondary outcomes include:

Muscle strength

Dynamic balance performance

Vertical jump height

Pain pressure threshold

Serum creatine kinase levels to confirm muscle damage

To reduce assessment bias, each assessor is responsible for only one measurement type and is blinded to the DOMS-induction procedure. All assessments occur at the same time points for all participants.

The study aims to provide new information about how localized muscle soreness affects chain-related muscle behavior and functional performance. Findings may contribute to improved injury-prevention, training, and rehabilitation strategies, especially for populations exposed to high mechanical load.

Enrollment: 14 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 25 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• The study included 14 volunteers aged 18-25 with a resting heart rate between 50 and 90 beats per minute who were right-handed.

Exclusion criteria

• Individuals who had undergone lower extremity injury or surgery in the past six months were excluded from the study. Those with chronic lower extremity pain or systemic or neurological diseases were also excluded. Participants with vision or hearing problems that could affect balance were excluded. Individuals who regularly used medication, smoked, consumed alcohol, or used other harmful substances were also excluded. Participants who regularly used caffeine or vitamin C supplements or who had an exercise habit were also excluded from the study.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

14 participants in 1 patient group

DOMS Induction Arm

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in this arm will complete a standardized exercise protocol designed to induce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in the gastrocnemius muscle. All assessments will be performed at baseline, immediately after the DOMS protocol, and at 24, 48, and 72 hours.

Treatment:

Other: Gastrocnemius DOMS Induction Protocol