Guilherme S Nunes1, Paula Urio Bender1, Fábio Sprada de Menezes2, Igor Yamashitafuji1, Valentine Zimermann Vargas3, Bruna Wageck1. 1. Department of Physiotherapy, Center of Health and Sport Sciences, Santa Catarina State University, Florianópolis. 2. Department of Physiotherapy, Estácio University Center of Santa Catarina, São José, Brazil. 3. Department of Physiotherapy, Center of Health and Sport Sciences, Santa Catarina State University, Florianópolis; Department of Physiology, São Paulo Federal University, São Paulo, Brazil.
Abstract
QUESTION: Can massage therapy reduce pain and perceived fatigue in the quadriceps of athletes after a long-distance triathlon race (Ironman)? DESIGN: Randomised, controlled trial with concealed allocation, intention-to-treat analysis and blinded outcome assessors. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-four triathlon athletes who completed an entire Ironman triathlon race and whose main complaint was pain in the anterior portion of the thigh. INTERVENTION: The experimental group received massage to the quadriceps, which was aimed at recovery after competition, and the control group rested in sitting. OUTCOME MEASURES: The outcomes were pain and perceived fatigue, which were reported using a visual analogue scale, and pressure pain threshold at three points over the quadriceps muscle, which was assessed using digital pressure algometry. RESULTS: The experimental group had significantly lower scores than the control group on the visual analogue scale for pain (MD -7 mm, 95% CI -13 to -1) and for perceived fatigue (MD -15 mm, 95% CI -21 to -9). There were no significant between-group differences for the pressure pain threshold at any of the assessment points. CONCLUSION:Massage therapy was more effective than no intervention on the post-race recovery from pain and perceived fatigue in long-distance triathlon athletes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials, RBR-4n2sxr.
RCT Entities:
QUESTION: Can massage therapy reduce pain and perceived fatigue in the quadriceps of athletes after a long-distance triathlon race (Ironman)? DESIGN: Randomised, controlled trial with concealed allocation, intention-to-treat analysis and blinded outcome assessors. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-four triathlon athletes who completed an entire Ironman triathlon race and whose main complaint was pain in the anterior portion of the thigh. INTERVENTION: The experimental group received massage to the quadriceps, which was aimed at recovery after competition, and the control group rested in sitting. OUTCOME MEASURES: The outcomes were pain and perceived fatigue, which were reported using a visual analogue scale, and pressure pain threshold at three points over the quadriceps muscle, which was assessed using digital pressure algometry. RESULTS: The experimental group had significantly lower scores than the control group on the visual analogue scale for pain (MD -7 mm, 95% CI -13 to -1) and for perceived fatigue (MD -15 mm, 95% CI -21 to -9). There were no significant between-group differences for the pressure pain threshold at any of the assessment points. CONCLUSION: Massage therapy was more effective than no intervention on the post-race recovery from pain and perceived fatigue in long-distance triathlon athletes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials, RBR-4n2sxr.
Authors: Gian Nicola Bisciotti; Piero Volpi; Maurizio Amato; Giampietro Alberti; Francesco Allegra; Alessandro Aprato; Matteo Artina; Alessio Auci; Corrado Bait; Gian Matteo Bastieri; Luca Balzarini; Andrea Belli; Gianandrea Bellini; Pierfrancesco Bettinsoli; Alessandro Bisciotti; Andrea Bisciotti; Stefano Bona; Lorenzo Brambilla; Marco Bresciani; Michele Buffoli; Filippo Calanna; Gian Luigi Canata; Davide Cardinali; Giulia Carimati; Gabriella Cassaghi; Enrico Cautero; Emanuele Cena; Barbara Corradini; Alessandro Corsini; Cristina D'Agostino; Massimo De Donato; Giacomo Delle Rose; Francesco Di Marzo; Francesco Di Pietto; Drapchind Enrica; Cristiano Eirale; Luigi Febbrari; Paolo Ferrua; Andrea Foglia; Alberto Galbiati; Alberto Gheza; Carlo Giammattei; Francesco Masia; Gianluca Melegati; Biagio Moretti; Lorenzo Moretti; Roberto Niccolai; Antonio Orgiani; Claudio Orizio; Andrea Pantalone; Federica Parra; Paolo Patroni; Maria Teresa Pereira Ruiz; Marzio Perri; Stefano Petrillo; Luca Pulici; Alessandro Quaglia; Luca Ricciotti; Francesco Rosa; Nicola Sasso; Claudio Sprenger; Chiara Tarantola; Fabio Gianpaolo Tenconi; Fabio Tosi; Michele Trainini; Agostino Tucciarone; Ali Yekdah; Zarko Vuckovic; Raul Zini; Karim Chamari Journal: BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med Date: 2018-05-24