Differences and Relationships in Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) and Muscle Strength between Dynamic Warm-Up Alone and Dynamic Warm-Up with Static Stretching among Untrained Female University Agriculture Students

Problem Statement: DOMS has been primarily studied in trained athletes, leaving a significant gap in knowledge about untrained populations. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the relationships and differences in delayed onset muscle soreness and muscle strength between dynamic warm-up alone and dynamic warm-up with static stretching among untrained female agriculture students. Methods: Thirty-nine out of 76 qualified university students from a state university in the Philippines completed the interventions. The students consist of females enrolled in Physical Activity Towards Health and Fitness from two blocks, supervised by the researchers. The study utilized a mixed model design with two groups; each group underwent five series of similar field tests following the intervention. Results: The study found significant reductions in DOMS for both dynamic warm-up (DWG) and dynamic warm-up with static stretching (DSWG) across various time intervals, with the most notable effects observed from 1 to 12 hours and 48 to 72 hours. Muscle strength recovery showed no significant differences in the first 24 hours for DWG, but improvements were significant from 24 to 72 hours, while no significant changes were observed for DSWG. Additionally, a significant relationship between muscle strength and DOMS emerged in the DWG group from 48 to 72 hours, but no such relationship was found in DSWG. Conclusions: Dynamic warm-up effectively reduces DOMS and promotes muscle strength recovery, particularly between 24 and 72 hours post-exercise, while static stretching does not offer additional benefits for muscle strength recovery.