INTRODUCTION: The Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness consists in a sensation of muscle discomfort resulting from the practice of intense physical exercise that lasts for some days. Static stretching can be used to try to diminish this post-exercise effect, holding it for about 10-30 seconds and repeating the procedure three to five times. OBJECTIVE: To verify, in sedentary individuals, the effect of the static stretching to relieve the Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. METHODS: This study was a randomized, prospective, blind by the evaluator clinical trial, composed of 20 students divided in two groups: STG (exercise + stretching) and CG (exercise). The exercise was composed of five sets of 20 repetitions of plantar/dorsiflexion, exercising the triceps sural group. Both groups were evaluated before exercising and again after 24, 48 and 72 hours, as to their pain degree using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and a Dolorimeter pressure. RESULTS: The VAS showed that control group (CG) presented significant difference in pain sensation in the pre-exercise compared to 24, 48 and 72 hours, between 24 and 72 hours and between 48 and 72 hours after exercising. Stretching group (STG) VAS showed significant differences in the pre exercise period compared to 24, 48 and 72 hours and between 48 and 72 hours after exercising. The dolorimeter showed that in control group (CG) there was significant difference in pain sensation in pre exercise compared to 24 and 48 hours and between 24 and 72 hours after exercising. In stretching group (STG), the significant differences were evident in the pre exercise period compared to 24 and 48 hours after it. CONCLUSION: Static stretching was not effective in relieving Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.
skeletal muscle; flexibility; pain measurement
