Pengaruh pemberian massage olahraga terhadap tingkat nyeri otot tungkai pada pemain sepak bola klub muspika unimed fc

Leg muscle pain is a common complaint among soccer players resulting from intense physical activities such as running, kicking, jumping, and sudden changes of direction which can trigger Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) and potentially impair performance and readiness for subsequent training sessions if not managed properly. Players from Muspika Unimed FC frequently experience leg muscle pain following high-intensity training sessions or matches; however, the recovery management provided including the systematic use of sports massage has not yet been optimal or structured. This study aimed to determine the effect of sports massage on leg muscle pain levels among Muspika Unimed FC soccer players. A quasi-experimental study with a one-group pretest-posttest design was conducted involving 11 players selected via total sampling. Pain levels were measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) before and after a 15–20 minute sports massage session, and the data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the paired-sample t-test. The results showed a significant reduction in pain scores, dropping from a mean of 5.91 in the pre-test to 3.82 in the post-test, with all 11 players experiencing a decrease in pain (p < 0.05). It can be concluded that sports massage is effective in reducing leg muscle pain levels in soccer players, making it a viable post-training or post-match recovery strategy to maintain athletes' physical readiness and performance.