Massage therapy slightly decreased pain intensity after habitual running, but had no effect on fatigue, mood or physical performance: a randomised trial.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine if massage therapy reduces pain and perceived fatigue in the quadriceps, improves mood, and enhances physical performance in runners after a 10-km run.
Results Summary
Massage therapy significantly reduced pain intensity by a small margin (0.7 points on a 0-10 scale) compared to a sham technique, but showed no significant effects on perceived fatigue, flexibility, strength, or jump performance.
Population
Seventy-eight runners after a 10-km run.
Effective Dosage
10 minutes of massage to the quadriceps.
Duration
Single session, with follow-up evaluations at 24, 48, and 72 hours post-intervention.
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
massage therapy to the quadriceps | decrease | pain intensity | runners after sporting activity (10-km run) | 0.7 points | significantly lower scores | #1 |
massage therapy to the quadriceps | no change | perceived fatigue | runners after sporting activity (10-km run) | no significant change | no significant between-group differences | #2 |
massage therapy to the quadriceps | no change | flexibility | runners after sporting activity (10-km run) | no significant change | no significant between-group differences | #3 |
massage therapy to the quadriceps | no change | strength | runners after sporting activity (10-km run) | no significant change | no significant between-group differences | #4 |
massage therapy to the quadriceps | no change | jump performance | runners after sporting activity (10-km run) | no significant change | no significant between-group differences | #5 |
QUESTION: Does massage therapy reduce pain and perceived fatigue in the quadriceps, and improve the mood and physical performance of runners after habitual sporting activity (10-km run)? DESIGN: Randomised controlled trial with concealed allocation, intention-to-treat analysis and blinded assessment. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-eight runners after sporting activity (10-km run). INTERVENTION: The experimental group received 10 minutes of massage to the quadriceps aimed at recovery following sport practice, and the control group received a sham joint mobilisation. OUTCOME MEASURES: Pain and perceived fatigue were each assessed using a 0-to-10 numerical rating scale; pain behaviour via the McGill Pain Questionnaire; mood profile via Brunel Mood Scale; quadriceps muscle flexibility using maximal knee flexion angle via inclinometer; isometric muscle strength of knee extensors via hand-held dynamometry; and vertical jump performance using jump height via My Jump 2 app. Evaluations were carried out immediately before and after the intervention, and at 24, 48 and 72 hours after the intervention. Generalised estimating equations were used to estimate a between-group difference (95% CI) using data across all time points. RESULTS: The experimental group had significantly lower scores than the control group on the numerical rating scale for pain by 0.7 points (95% CI 0.1 to 1.3). There were no significant between-group differences for any of the other outcome measures. CONCLUSION: Massage therapy was effective at reducing pain intensity after application to the quadriceps of runners compared to a sham technique, but the magnitude of the effect was small. There were no significant effects on perceived fatigue, flexibility, strength or jump performance. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials, RBR-393m7m.