Effects of massage as a recuperative technique on autonomic modulation of heart rate and cardiorespiratory parameters: a study protocol for a randomized clinical trial

Abstract

BackgroundRecuperative techniques have been used to anticipate and potentiate recovery. The massage is one of the most widely used in sports. Among the ways to demonstrate the recovery of the organism is the resumption of autonomic modulation of heart rate, which can be analyzed in situations that cause disturbances in the behavior of the cardiovascular system with the objective of verifying the responsiveness of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Recovery can be assessed through heart rate variability (HRV) which analyzes the oscillations in consecutive heartbeats, thus allowing an important non-invasive alternative for the study of modulation of the ANS. The objective of the study will be to measure the effects of massage as a recuperative technique on the autonomic modulation of heart rate and cardiorespiratory parameters at different moments of application.MethodsThis is a randomized, cross-over clinical trial. Forty men aged 18 to 30 years, healthy and physically active according to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire will participate in the study. Participants will be randomized into groups, which will perform the five interventions of the study at randomized moments, one intervention per session: Intervention 1: control; Intervention 2: participants will receive the massage protocol; Intervention 3: performance of the stress protocol; Intervention 4: participants will perform the stress protocol and immediately after receive the massage; Intervention 5: participants will perform the stress protocol and 1 h after conclusion of the protocol will receive the massage. The sessions will occur with an interval of 1 week between them and, due to the technique used, blinding participants and therapists is not possible. The primary outcome measure is HRV that will be measured 2 h after the conclusion of each intervention, and secondary outcome measures, which include heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and individual touch perception, will be measured at specific moments in the course of each intervention.DiscussionThe implementation and use of this standardized protocol should provide important and reliable information regarding the use of massage in post-exercise recovery, with the identification of its effects on the ANS and the best timing and form of massage application. The data obtained in the present study will provide subsidies for the best management of application of the technique in sports clinical practice, considering periods of training and, mainly, of competitions.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, ID:NCT03094676. Pre-results. 12 March 2018.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s13063-018-2830-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Increased Parasympathetic Activity by Foot Reflexology Massage after Repeated Sprint Test in Collegiate Football Players: A Randomised Controlled Trial

“…These findings indicated that the FRM could contribute to an increase in parasympathetic activation and sympatho-vagal balance after the RSA exercise. Our finding was supported by a previous study showing a positive effect of sports massage on HRV modulation after a set of anaerobic exercises (jump and 30-s maximal effort of cycling test) [24]. The benefits of FRM on vagal modulation were similar to our previous findings investigating the post-intervention effect of FRM on autonomic function in patients with coronary artery disease [12].…”

Optimization of Athlete Recovery Strategies: Analysis of Massage Methods To Determine The Best Approach After High-Intensity Interval Training

“…The difference occurred 2 minutes after the exercise ended, where the massage group had a better reduction effect than the passive recovery group. Providing massage has the potential to increase recovery from autonomic modulation of heart rate (Mantovani Junior et al, 2018), besides that, the vibration effect can be an effective method for speeding up recovery and regaining lost motor abilities in muscle groups tired due to exercise (Chwała et al, 2021;Kargarfard et al, 2016).…”

Effects of Different Neck Manual Lymphatic Drainage Maneuvers on the Nervous, Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Musculoskeletal Systems in Healthy Students

“…According to Junior et al [ 39 ] the physiological adaptations promoted by different massage maneuvers can be monitored through autonomic nervous system and cardiovascular responses [ 38 ]. It would support the results obtained in our manuscript in relation to heart rate, respiratory frequency and oxygen saturation.…”