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A. Pérez Bellmunt1, N. Labata-Lezaun1, L. Llurda-Almuzara1, S. Cedeño-Bermúdez1, M. Canet-Vintró1, D. Zegarra-Chávez1, S. Ortiz-Miguel1, J. Rodríguez-Sans1, C. López-de-Celis1
1Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
Background: Massage has been a commonly used tool for centuries and specifically pre-competition massage is a popular method at a professional level of competition. One of its main objectives is to improve athletic performance, causing different effects like hyperemia and increase in oxygen supply by mechanical stimulation. However, some effects caused by the pre-competition massage are barely known despite its usual use, and there is controversy about their benefits.
Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of the pre-competition massage over neuromuscular function (tone, stiffness, maximal displacement and contraction time) and strength of gastrocnemius muscles.
Methods: Design of study: Single-blind, randomized controlled trial (registered clinicaltrials.gov reference NCT03941067). Participants: 30 healthy volunteers (30 men, 18-39 years old). Intervention: Subjects received an intervention in one leg (experimental) consisting in a pre-competition massage and no intervention in the opposite leg (control). The selection for the control and experimental extremity was randomized. Main measures from gastrocnemius muscles: The muscle tone and stiffness (resistance to an external force) were obtained by myometry (MyotonPro). The contraction time and maximal displacement (maximal radial displacement produced in the muscle belly after the electrical stimulation) were analyzed by tensiomyography (TMG-BMC). The isometric strength was analyzed by handheld dynamometer (MicroFet 2).
Results: The differences between groups showed significant reduction (p<0.05) of tone and significant increment of contraction time in the pre-competition massage leg. The stiffness and maximal displacement presented an increment in the pre-competition massage leg but non-significant p values (p>0.050). The strength of pre-competition massage decreased (p>0.05).
Conclusion(s): Although the pre-massage may have some benefits (physiological for the muscle or psychological for the athlete), the result of this study indicated that the use of massage before the sport practice or may be an unsuitable strategy to improve performance if the objective is to maintain the tone and the contraction time during the sport practice. The decrease of these variables may be useful after completion to recover the muscle but not previous to it.
Implications: This study shows that a very used tool such as the pre-competition massage is not an effective method in the sport performance. The results of this research suggest the massage is an important tool after the sport practice because reduce tone but not before.
Funding, acknowledgements: No funding has been granted for this study.
Keywords: massage, stiffness, tone
Topic: Sport & sports injuries
Did this work require ethics approval? Yes
Institution: Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Committee: Comité d'Ètica de Recerca
Ethics number: CBAS-2018-29
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
