Delayed-onset muscle soreness can occur after athletes start a new form of train

Question

Delayed-onset muscle soreness can occur after athletes start a new form of training. Ice water immersion is often used as a treatment for this despite, there being little evidence that it is successful.

40 athletes were asked to take part in a new standardised exercise regime, and then randomly assigned to either ice or tepid water baths.

After 24 hours the athletes assessed their pain level and a researcher (who didn’t know which group they were in) took measurements of isometric strength and any swelling.

a) What kind of study is this?

b) There can be biased responses when subjects or researchers know which group they are in (particularly if they think one group’s treatment is preferable). Explain how this could occur here.

c) Suggest TWO factors that might affect the athlete’s pain level (other than the water temperature).

d) If there was a difference in the outcomes between the groups, explain how this study would or would not allow you to conclude that it was due to watertemperature or these other factors.

Explanation / Answer

a) The study is basically the testing for difference of means where sample is taken from similar object.

b) Since the researchers know the fact that ice water immersion is often used as a treatment for muscle soreness, their results can be biased towards the fact. Suppose If they know the athlete 1 is assigned ice water bath while athlete 2 is assigned tepid water bath, they could guess initially the response from the fact that isometric strength and swelling would obviously be less in athlete 1 than athlete 2 thus considering 1 as preferrable over other. Thus it might include biased responses if their groups are known.

c) The other two factors which might affect athlete’s pain level (other than the water temperature) are athlete's strength and amount of swelling. More the strength lesser will be pain and lesser the amount of swelling lesser is the pain.

d) If there was a difference in the outcomes between the groups it would be better to conclude that Ice water immersion can be used as a treatment for muscle soreness but the pain reduction in the treatment might vary according to the strength and amount of swelling in the athlete.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse D
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.