The study was designed to test the efficacy of the Compex electronic muscular stimulation unit's Active Recovery® and Recovery Plus® programs at relieving the symptoms of delayed-onset muscle soreness compared to cryotherapy and control conditions. A visual analog scale was used to examine perceived muscle soreness, a flexible tape measure was used to measure muscular girth, and an improvised algometer was used to assess pain pressure threshold. A Biodex isokinetic dynamometer was used to induce delayed-onset muscle soreness and capture pre-test and post-test data on peak torque, muscular fatigue, and time to peak torque. Significant effects for time were found for perceived soreness, pain pressure threshold at six inches, and six inch muscular girth. No significance was found between groups or in group by time interactions. The study protocol of six sets of 10 repetitions of knee extension at 300o/s and knee flexion at 30o/s with two minutes of rest between sets was able to produce muscular soreness study subjects. All study methods of treating the symptoms of DOMS were found to be equal to one another. No treatment modality was found in this study to increase recovery speed or restore muscular function more than the other conditions. The Compex unit may not be most indicated for recovery but future research could examine the use of its muscular strength, endurance and power training programs for use with a geriatric population.
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