Exercise Recovery

    PEMF for Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness: RCT

    Grade C+Randomized controlled trial2014

    What did this study find?

    Thirty subjects with exercise-induced muscle soreness were randomized to pulsed electromagnetic field treatment or control. Perceived soreness and several electrophysiologic measures improved, but peak torque did not, so the treatment changed how recovery felt without restoring measured muscle force. Both outcomes matter when interpreting recovery claims.

    What are the details of this record?

    Full citation
    PEMF for Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness: RCT. Phys Ther Sport. 2014. PMID: 24906295.
    Journal
    Phys Ther Sport
    Study design
    Randomized controlled trial
    Sample size and population
    30 subjects
    Evidence grade
    Grade C+ on the BioReg grading scale
    Reported findings
    Improved perceived muscle soreness and some electrophysiologic DOMS measures. Did NOT improve peak torque.

    A positive PEMF study is not evidence for a specific device unless the signal parameters studied, frequency, intensity, waveform, and exposure duration, are reasonably comparable to what that device produces. Where this record does not list those parameters, the source report did not publish them. See the grading methodology. Library last reviewed 2026-08-27.