Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness and Topical Analgesic Alter Corticospinal Excitability of the Biceps Brachii

The interactive effect of delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and a topical analgesic on corticospinal excitability was investigated.Thirty-two participants completed Experiments A (no DOMS) and B (DOMS). For each experiment, participants were randomly assigned to two groups: 1) topical analgesic gel (topical analgesic, n = 8), or 2) placebo gel (placebo, n = 8) group. Before the application of gel (pregel), as well as 5, 15, 30, and 45 min...