Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, DOMS

This study will examine whether taking mogrosides, natural compounds found in monk fruit, affects delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and related markers of muscle damage, inflammation, oxidative stress, and muscle function after strenuous exercise. The study will also explore whether changes in the body's antioxidant capacity are related to changes in DOMS-related measures. The study plans to enroll 16 healthy young male students. Participants will be randomly assigned to a control group (n=8) or an experimental group (n=8). The control group will receive a placebo, and the experimental group will receive mogrosides. Participants will take their assigned product by mouth for 27 days, perform a standardized frog-jump training session, and then continue taking the assigned product for 3 more days. Researchers will measure subjective muscle soreness using a visual analog scale (VAS) at baseline before supplementation, before exercise, immediately after exercise, and 24, 48, and 72 hours after exercise. At these same time points, they will also measure serum creatine kinase (CK) and creatine kinase isoenzyme MM (CK-MM) activity, total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), malondialdehyde (MDA), plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6), thigh circumference at the junction of the middle and lower thirds of the thigh, maximal isometric strength for lifting the thigh, and active range of motion (AROM) of the knee. The study will assess the effects of mogroside supplementation on DOMS severity and on changes in muscle damage, inflammation, oxidative stress, and muscle function. It will also explore whether improved antioxidant capacity is related to changes in DOMS-related indicators. This study is not yet recruiting participants.

Chronic muscle pain is one of the most prevalent clinical challenges in sports medicine, significantly affecting training capacity, competitive performance, and quality of life in athletes. The endocannabinoid system has emerged as a promising therapeutic target for pain modulation in the sports context. This prospective, comparative, non-randomized observational study aims to evaluate whether adjuvant topical application of a cannabinoid balm (CBD:THC 3:1 - Papa \& Barkley) provides additional reduction in chronic muscle pain intensity in athletes, compared to systemic CBD oil alone, over 90 days of follow-up in a real-world clinical practice setting. Sixty adult athletes (amateur or professional) with established chronic muscle pain (≥3 months) who receive clinical indication for cannabinoid therapy will be followed in two observational cohorts: Cohort A (n=30), receiving only systemic CBD oil (60 mg/day oral/sublingual), and Cohort B, (n=30) receiving systemic CBD oil plus the topical cannabinoid balm (CBD:THC 3:1, applied twice daily to the affected muscle area). Treatment allocation is based exclusively on the clinical decision of the principal investigator, reflecting routine medical practice. The primary outcome is the change in Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) scores from baseline (D0) to end of follow-up (D90). Secondary outcomes include pain intensity (NRS), sleep quality (PSQI), quality of life (SF-36), perceived muscle recovery (TQR scale), functional capacity (LEFS/UEFI), rescue analgesic use, and safety/tolerability of the topical formulation. The study aims to generate real-world evidence on the effectiveness and safety of adjuvant topical cannabinoid therapy in athletes with chronic muscle pain in the Brazilian clinical practice setting.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate how probiotic supplementation (PS) influences post-exercise recovery in healthy, physically active young adults. Researchers aim to determine if the Lactobacillus casei probiotic strain reduces symptoms of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) based on perceived muscle soreness, pressure pain threshold, and power output following exercise induced muscle damage (EIMD).