Effect of vitamin C on delayed onset muscle soreness indexes

Introduction: Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) refers to the skeletal muscle pain that is experienced following eccentric exercise. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of vitamin C on DOMS after an eccentric exercise. Material & Methods: Twenty healthy male age 21 to 24 years participated as subjects in this study. The subjects were assigned to either an experimental (3500 mg of vitamin C; n=10) or a placebo group (Same dosage of juice powder; n=10) using a double-blind research design. Knee range of motion (ROM), perceived pain and serum activity of the enzyme creatine kinase (CK), Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and C reactive protein (CRP) were taken before, immediately and 48 hours after the eccentric exercise. Results: Lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase, CRP and pain increased (P<0.05) and knee ROM decreased (P<0.05) in the both groups immediately after the eccentric exercise. The vitamin C supplementation decreased the pain and CRP levels compare to the placebo group at 48 hours after the eccentric exercise (P<0.05) but it has not effective to improve LDH, CK and knee ROM. Conclusion: In conclusion, further studies are needed to examine the effects of vitamin C supplementation on DOMS induced by eccentric exercise.