Neuromuscular Responses to Recovery Techniques

NCT ID: NCT06433856

Last Updated: 2024-06-18

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 16 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-05-01
• Study Completion Date: 2023-07-31

Brief Summary

Cold water immersion (CWI) and percussive massage therapy (PMT) are commonly used re-covery techniques in team sports. In particular, despite its wide use, PMT has been scarcely investigated in the literature, especially regarding neuromuscular measures and in comparison with other techniques. This study aims to evaluate and compare the acute and short-term ef-fects (24 h) of CWI and PMT on muscle strength, contractile properties, and soreness after exercise. A randomized crossover study will be performed on sixteen male soccer players (22 y, 20-27) who participate in three experimental sessions involving high-intensity training and 12-min recovery including CWI (10 °C water), bilateral PMT on the anterior and posterior thigh, or passive resting. Outcomes will be assessed immediately after the exercise protocol, after the recovery intervention, and at 24 h. Isometric knee extension (IKE) and flexion (IKF), and tensiomyography (TMG) will be assessed.Muscle soreness and fatigue will be scored from 0 to 10.

Detailed Description

Participants will be invited to participate to a cross-over randomized trial, consisting in 3 experimental sessions at 7 days of distance one from another. During each experimental session, participants will be asked to train for about 45 min at a high-intensity protocol (High-Intensity Intermittent Running, plyometric jumps and isometric chair position). After the exercise, participants will be assessed for neuromuscular function (isometric strength and tensiomyography) as well as perceived soreness and fatigue. Then, in a randomized order, participants will receive three different recovery interventions: cold water immersion, percussive massage, or a passive control condition. After the recovery intervention, outcomes are assessed again, as well as at 24 h. Isometric strength is assessed with a dynamometer during knee extension and knee flexion. Tensiomyography is performed on the thigh muscles, and time to contraction and radial displacement are considered as outcomes. Soreness and fatigue are rated by the participant from 0 to 10.

Conditions

Muscle Soreness

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Primary Study Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

CWI

The CWI protocol consists of participants standing, with only their underwear and a t-shirt, in a portable tub for cold water therapy (Qryo, Italy), with the water to their hips being constantly maintained at 10±0.5 °C by a cooling system that pumped and stirred the water inside the tub and around the participant's lower limbs. Water temperature and the duration of the immersion, which is 12 minutes for all the participants considering they were characterized by similar anthropometrics and body composition, were based on previous literature

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Cold Water Immersion

Intervention Type: OTHER

Cold water immersion consists in 12 min standing in 10 °C water

PMT

The PMT protocol is performed with the application of a percussive therapy gun (Theragun Elite, Therabody, USA). The participants rests with their underwear and a t-shirt on a treatment bed, and the percussive therapy gun with a "standard ball", 16 mm amplitude of percussions, and a frequency of 30 Hz, is applied to the thigh muscles of both lower limbs, 3 min on the anterior and 3 min on the posterior area of each thigh. The protocol is based on previous literature and adapted to the specific aims of this study.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Percussive Massage Therapy

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Percussive massage therapy is performed with a massage gun on the thigh muscles for 12 min

PAS

The control condition (PAS) consists of participants resting on a chair for 12 minutes in a quiet room at 25 °C.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Cold Water Immersion

Cold water immersion consists in 12 min standing in 10 °C water

Intervention Type: OTHER

Percussive Massage Therapy

Percussive massage therapy is performed with a massage gun on the thigh muscles for 12 min

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• being healthy
• training in soccer for more than 3 years and with a training frequency > 2 times/week

Exclusion Criteria

• reported time-loss injuries
• using analgesics or other therapies affecting muscle function or pain

• Minimum Eligible Age: 16 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 30 Years
• Eligible Sex: MALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University of Trieste

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Alex Buoite Stella

RTD-A

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

CdL in Fisioterapia

Trieste, , Italy

Countries

Italy

Other Identifiers

Fisioterapia1705

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id