Effectiveness Of Structured Exercise Progrme On Delayead Onset Of Muscle Soreness In Amateur Football Players.
International Journal of Drug Delivery Technology · 2026
Background: Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is a common condition experienced by football players following intense physical activity, particularly exercises involving eccentric muscle contractions.It is characterized by muscle pain, stiffness, and reduced functional performance, which may affect training and athletic performance.Structured exercise programs that include warm-up, stretching, strengthening, and cool-down exercises may help reduce the severity of DOMS and improve recovery.However, limited evidence exists regarding their effectiveness among amateur football players.Therefore, this study
Aims: to determine the effectiveness of a structured exercise program in reducing delayed onset muscle soreness in amateur football players.
Methods: A pre-experimental one-group pre-test and post-test study was conducted among 30 amateur football players aged 18-22 years to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured exercise program on delayed onset muscle soreness.Participants underwent a four-week structured exercise program consisting of jogging, dynamic stretching, eccentric strengthening, balance and agility training, and cool-down exercises.Outcome measures included the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Range of Motion (ROM), and Vertical Jump Test (VJT).Assessments were performed before and after the intervention.Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired t-tests, with statistical
Significance: set at p < 0.05.
Results: Thirty amateur football players completed the study.The
results of the study demonstrated significant improvements in all outcome measures following the 4-week structured exercise program.The mean Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score significantly decreased from 6.80 ± 0.92 to 2.97 ± 0.72, indicating a substantial reduction in delayed onset muscle soreness.The mean Range of Motion (ROM) significantly increased from 118.60 ± 2.75° to 127.07 ± 3.10°, reflecting improved lower-limb flexibility.Similarly, the mean Vertical Jump Test (VJT) score improved from 33.87 ± 2.58 cm to 40.37 ± 2.87 cm, demonstrating enhanced functional performance and lower-limb muscular power.Statistical analysis using the paired t-test revealed highly significant differences between pre-test and post-test values for all outcome measures (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: The present study concluded that the structured exercise program was effective in reducing delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) among amateur football players.Significant improvements were observed in pain levels, lower-limb flexibility, and functional performance following the 4-week intervention.The reduction in VAS scores, along with improvements in ROM and Vertical Jump Test performance, indicates that the structured exercise program contributed to enhanced recovery and physical function.Therefore, structured exercise programs can be recommended as an effective strategy for managing DOMS and improving athletic performance in amateur football players.