Effect of Low-Volume High-Intensity Interval Exercise and Continuous Exercise on Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness in Untrained Healthy Males

ABSTRACTFarias Junior, LF, Browne, RAV, Frazão, DT, Dantas, TCB, Silva, PHM, Freitas, RPA, Aoki, MS, and Costa, EC. Effect of low-volume high-intensity interval exercise and continuous exercise on delayed-onset muscle soreness in untrained healthy males. J Strength Cond Res 33(3)774–782, 2019—The aim of this study was to compare the effect of a single session of a low-volume high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) and a continuous exercise (CE) on the magnitude of delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in untrained healthy males. Fifteen participants (25.1 ± 4.4 years) completed 2 experimental sessions in a randomized order(a) low-volume HIIE10 × 60 seconds at 90% of maximal velocity (MV) interspersed with 60 seconds of active recovery at 30% of MV and (b) CE20 minutes at 60% of MV. Pressure-pain threshold (PPT), pressure-pain tolerance (PPTol), and perceived pain intensity (PPI) were assessed in the rectus femoris, biceps femoris, and gastrocnemius before and 24 hours after exercise. There was a decrease of PPT in the rectus femoris (−0.5 kg·cm) and PPTol in the gastrocnemius (−1.4 kg·cm) and an increase of PPI in the rectus femoris (14.4 mm) and in the biceps femoris (11.7 mm) 24 hours after the low-volume HIIE session (p ≤ 0.05). There was a decrease of PPT (rectus femoris−0.8 kg·cm; biceps femoris−0.5 kg·cm; gastrocnemius−0.9 kg·cm) and PPTol (rectus femoris−1.9 kg·cm; biceps femoris−2.7 kg·cm; gastrocnemius−1.6 kg·cm) and an increase of PPI (rectus femoris8.1 mm; biceps femoris10.3 mm; gastrocnemius17.5 mm) in all muscles 24 hours after the CE session (p ≤ 0.05). No difference was observed between HIIE and CE sessions in any DOMS-related parameter (p > 0.05). In conclusion, a single session of low-volume HIIE and CE elicited a similar mild DOMS 24 hours after exercise in untrained healthy males.