Stretching and deep and superficial massage do not influence blood lactate levels after heavy-intensity cycle exercise

Abstract

The study aimed to assess the role of deep and superficial massage and passive stretching recovery on blood lactate concentration ([La(-)]) kinetics after a fatiguing exercise compared to active and passive recovery. Nine participants (age 23 ± 1 years; stature 1.76 ± 0.02 m; body mass 74 ± 4 kg) performed on five occasions an 8-min fatiguing exercise at 90% of maximum oxygen uptake, followed by five different 10-min interventions in random order: passive and active recovery, deep and superficial massage and stretching. Interventions were followed by 1 hour of recovery. Throughout each session, maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) of the knee extensor muscles, [La(-)], cardiorespiratory and metabolic variables were determined. Electromyographic signal (EMG) from the quadriceps muscles was also recorded. At the end of the fatiguing exercise, [La(-)], MVC, EMG amplitude, and metabolic and cardiorespiratory parameters were similar among conditions. During intervention administration, [La(-)] was lower and metabolic and cardiorespiratory parameters were higher in active recovery compared to the other modalities (P < 0.05). Stretching and deep and superficial massage did not alter [La(-)] kinetics compared to passive recovery. These findings indicate that the pressure exerted during massage administration and stretching manoeuvres did not play a significant role on post-exercise blood La(-) levels.

Influence of acute passive stretching on the oxygen uptake vs work rate slope during an incremental cycle test

“…Even though the vastus lateralis muscle may not be considered entirely representative of the whole quadriceps, its choice for EMG detection in the present study is supported by data from a previous investigation showing no differences in stretching effects among vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and rectus femoris muscles (Cè et al 2013). The EMG probe was placed over the muscle belly in the direction of the muscle fibres with the electrodes positioned perpendicular to the major axes of the fibres between the tendon and the motor point, in accordance with the European recommendations for surface EMG (Hermens et al 1999).…”

Funding is related to the quality, conduct, and reporting of trial reports in musculoskeletal physical therapy: A survey of 210 published trials

“…The selection procedure is described in Figure 1. Three trial reports were excluded because the report: 1) was a duplicate publication of another included trial (Higgins, Cameron, and Climstein, 2013); 2) did not describe a randomized controlled trial (which has subsequently been removed from PEDro) (Sweeting, Whitty, Scuffham, and Yelland, 2011); or 3) only covered immediate response to patient preferences using a repeated measures design (Cè et al, 2013).…”

Comparison of the Effect of Passive and Active Recovery, and Self-Myofascial Release Exercises on Lactate Removal and Total Quality of Recovery

“…We could not find any studies other than the studies by D'amico and Paolone (2017) and Cè et al (2013) which compared the effects of SMR and other recovery methods on recovery via [La -] removal. In contrast to our study, D'amico and Paolone (2017) reported that SMR had no effect on the removal of [La -]; this study also argued that light exercise was a means of AR for minimizing fatigue-induced decrements in performance during successive exercise bouts.…”