Effects of Massage on Limb and Skin Blood Flow after Quadriceps Exercise

HINDS, T., I. MCEWAN, J. PERKES, E. DAWSON, D. BALL, and K. GEORGE
ABSTRACT
Purpose: At present, there is little scientific
evidence that postexercise manual massage has any effect on the factors associated with the recovery process. The purpose of this study
was to compare the effects of massage against a resting control condition upon femoral artery blood flow (FABF), skin blood flow
(SKBF), skin (SKT), and muscle (MT) temperature after dynamic quadriceps exercise.

Methods: Thirteen male volunteers participated in 3 × 2-min bouts of concentric quadriceps exercise followed by 2 × 6-min bouts of deep effleurage and pétrissage massage or a control (rest) period of similar duration in a counterbalanced fashion. Measures of FABF, SKBF, SKT, MT, blood lactate concentration (BLa), heart rate (HR), and blood pressure (BP) were taken at baseline, immediately after exercise, as well as at the midpoint and end of the massage/rest periods. Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA.

Results: Significant main effects were found for all variables over time due to effects of exercise. Massage to the quadriceps did not significantly elevate FABF (end-massage 760 ± 256 vs end-control 733 ± 161 mL·min^-1), MT, BL, HR, and BP over control values (P < 0.05). SKBF (end-massage 150 ± 49 vs end control 6 ± 4 au) SKT (end-massage 32.2 ± 0.9 vs end-control 31.1 ± 1.3°C) were elevated after the application of massage compared with the control trial (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: From these data it is proposed that without an increase in arterial blood flow, any increase
in SKBF is potentially diverting flow away from recovering muscle. Such a response would question the efficacy of massage as an
aid to recovery in postexercise settings.

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: August 2004 – Volume 36 – Issue 8 – pp 1308-1313 – abstract

Full text available in  through MTABC member only website (link) under the research tab and then library.

Filed under: Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, Massage, Petrissage, Recovery massage , blood flow, FEMORAL ARTERY, Massage, SKIN AND MUSCLE TEMPERATURE

The mechanisms of massage and effects on performance, muscle recovery and injury prevention

Weerapong P, Hume PA, Kolt GS

Many coaches, athletes and sports medicine personnel hold the belief, based on observations and experiences, that massage can provide several benefits to the body such as increased blood flow, reduced muscle tension and neurological excitability, and an increased sense of well-being. Massage can produce mechanical pressure, which is expected to increase muscle compliance resulting in increased range of joint motion, decreased passive stiffness and decreased active stiffness (biomechanical mechanisms). Mechanical pressure might help to increase blood flow by increasing the arteriolar pressure, as well as increasing muscle temperature from rubbing. Depending on the massage technique, mechanical pressure on the muscle is expected to increase or decrease neural excitability as measured by the Hoffman reflex (neurological mechanisms). Changes in parasympathetic activity (as measured by heart rate, blood pressure and heart rate variability) and hormonal levels (as measured by cortisol levels) following massage result in a relaxation response (physiological mechanisms). A reduction in anxiety and an improvement in mood state also cause relaxation (psychological mechanisms) after massage. Therefore, these benefits of massage are expected to help athletes by enhancing performance and reducing injury risk. However, limited research has investigated the effects of pre-exercise massage on performance and injury prevention. Massage between events is widely investigated because it is believed that massage might help to enhance recovery and prepare athletes for the next event. Unfortunately, very little scientific data has supported this claim. The majority of research on psychological effects of massage has concluded that massage produces positive effects on recovery (psychological mechanisms). Post-exercise massage has been shown to reduce the severity of muscle soreness but massage has no effects on muscle functional loss. Notwithstanding the belief that massage has benefits for athletes, the effects of different types of massage (e.g. petrissage, effleurage, friction) or the appropriate timing of massage (pre-exercise vs post-exercise) on performance, recovery from injury, or as an injury prevention method are not clear. Explanations are lacking, as the mechanisms of each massage technique have not been widely investigated. Therefore, this article discusses the possible mechanisms of massage and provides a discussion of the limited evidence of massage on performance, recovery and muscle injury prevention. The limitations of previous research are described and further research is recommended.

Sports Medicine – 2005;35(3):235-56 – abstract

Full text available in  through MTABC member only website (link) under the research tab and then library.

Filed under: Massage, Prevention, Recovery, Recovery massage, Review article , Massage, muscle injury prevention, performance, Recovery

Effects of leg massage on recovery from high intensity cycling exercise

Robertson A, Watt JM, Galloway SD

BACKGROUND: The effect of massage on recovery from high intensity exercise is debatable. Many studies on massage suffer from methodological flaws such as poor standardisation of previous exercise, lack of dietary control, and inappropriate massage duration. OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of leg massage compared with passive recovery on lactate clearance, muscular power output, and fatigue characteristics after repeated high intensity cycling exercise, with the conditions before the intervention controlled and standardised. METHODS: Nine male games players participated. They attended the laboratory on two occasions one week apart and at the same time of day. Dietary intake and activity were replicated for the two preceding days on each occasion. After baseline measurement of heart rate and blood lactate concentration, subjects performed a standardised warm up on the cycle ergometer. This was followed by six standardised 30 second high intensity exercise bouts, interspersed with 30 seconds of active recovery. After five minutes of active recovery and either 20 minutes of leg massage or supine passive rest, subjects performed a second standardised warm up and a 30 second Wingate test. Capillary blood samples were drawn at intervals, and heart rate, peak power, mean power, and fatigue index were recorded.

RESULTS: There were no significant differences in mean power during the initial high intensity exercise bouts (p = 0.92). No main effect of massage was observed on blood lactate concentration between trials (p = 0.82) or heart rate (p = 0.81). There was no difference in the maximum power (p = 0.75) or mean power (p = 0.66) in the subsequent Wingate test, but a significantly lower fatigue index was observed in the massage trial (p = 0.04; mean (SD) fatigue index 30.2 (4.1)% v 34.2 (3.3)%).

CONCLUSIONS: No measurable physiological effects of leg massage compared with passive recovery were observed on recovery from high intensity exercise, but the subsequent effect on fatigue index warrants further investigation.

Br J Sports Med.2004; 38: 173-176 - full text PDF

doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2002.003186

Filed under: Cycling, Recovery, Recovery massage

Massage after exercise–responses of immunologic and endocrine markers: a randomized single-blind placebo-controlled study

Arroyo-Morales, M; Olea, N; Ruíz, C; Castilo, J; Martínez, M; Lorenzo, C; Díaz-Rodríguez, L

The effectiveness of massage for postexercise recovery remains unclear, despite numerous studies on this issue. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of massage on endocrine and immune functions of healthy active volunteers after intense exercise. After repeated Wingate tests, the effects of whole-body massage and placebo on salivary cortisol, immunoglobulin A (IgA), and total protein levels were compared using a between-group design. Sixty healthy active subjects (23 women, 37 men) underwent 2 exercise protocol sessions at least 2 weeks apart and at the same time of day. The first session familiarized participants with the protocol. In the second session, after a baseline measurement, subjects performed a standardized warm-up followed by three 30-second Wingate tests. After active recovery, subjects were randomly allocated to massage (40-minute myofascial induction) or placebo (40-minute sham electrotherapy) group. Saliva samples were taken before and after the exercise protocols and after recovery. In both groups, the exercise protocol induced a significant increase in cortisol (p < 0.001), decrease in salivary IgA (sIgA) (p < 0.001), and increase in total proteins (p = 0.01) in saliva. Generalized estimating equations showed a significant effect of massage on sIgA rate (p = 0.05), a tendency toward significant effect on salivary total protein levels (p = 0.10), and no effect on salivary flow rate (p = 0.55) or salivary cortisol (p = 0.39). The sIgA secretion rate was higher after the recovery intervention than at baseline among women in the massage group (p = 0.03) but similar to baseline levels among women in the placebo group (p = 0.29). Massage may favor recovery from the transient immunosuppression state induced by exercise in healthy active women, of particular value between high-intensity training sessions or competitions on the same day.

Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research – Volume 23(2), March 2009, pp 638-644 – abstract

Full text available in  through MTABC member only website (link) under the research tab and then library.

Filed under: Massage, Recovery, Recovery massage , cortisol, immunoglobulin A, Massage, saliva, Wingate test

Cyclic Compressive Loading Facilitates Recovery after Eccentric Exercise

BUTTERFIELD, TA; ZHAO, Y; AGARWAL, S; HAQ, F; BEST, TM

Purpose: To assess the biologic basis of massage therapies, we developed an experimental approach to mimic Swedish massage and evaluate this approach on recovery from eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage using a well-controlled animal model.

Methods: Tibialis anterior muscles of six New Zealand White rabbits were subjected to one bout of damaging, eccentric contractions. One muscle was immediately subjected to cyclic compressive loads, and the contralateral served as the exercised control.

Results: We found that commencing 30 min of cyclic compressive loading to the muscle, immediately after a bout of eccentric exercise, facilitated recovery of function and attenuated leukocyte infiltration. In addition, fiber necrosis and wet weight of the tissue were also reduced by compressive loading.

Conclusion: We conclude that subjecting muscle to compressive loads immediately after exercise leads to an enhanced recovery of muscle function and attenuation of the damaging effects of inflammation in the rabbit model. Although these observations suggest that skeletal muscle responds to cyclic compressive forces similar to those generated by clinical approaches, such as therapeutic massage, further research is needed to assess the translational efficacy of these findings.

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, Volume 40(7), July 2008, pp 1289-1296

Full text available in through MTABC member only website under the research tab and then library.

Filed under: Exercise, Recovery massage

Effectiveness of Sports Massage for Recovery of Skeletal Muscle From Strenuous Exercise. Critical Review

Best, Thomas M MD, PhD *; Hunter, Robin DC *; Wilcox, Aaron BS +; Haq, Furqan PhD *

Abstract:
Objective: Sport massage, a manual therapy for muscle and soft tissue pain and weakness, is a popular and widely used modality for recovery after intense exercise. Our objective is to determine the effectiveness of sport massage for improving recovery after strenuous exercise.

Data Sources: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL using all current and historical names for sport massage. Reference sections of included articles were scanned to identify additional relevant articles.

Study Selection: Study inclusion criteria required that subjects (1) were humans, (2) performed strenuous exercise, (3) received massage, and (4) were assessed for muscle recovery and performance. Ultimately, 27 studies met inclusion criteria.

Data Extraction: Eligible studies were reviewed, and data were extracted by the senior author (TMB). The main outcomes extracted were type and timing of massage and outcome measures studied.

Data Synthesis: Data from 17 case series revealed inconsistent results. Most studies evaluating post-exercise function suggest that massage is not effective, whereas studies that also evaluated the symptoms of DOMS did show some benefit. Data from 10 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) do, however, provide moderate evidence for the efficacy of massage therapy. The search identified no trend between type and timing of massage and any specific outcome measures investigated.

Conclusions: Case series provide little support for the use of massage to aid muscle recovery or performance after intense exercise. In contrast, RCTs provide moderate data supporting its use to facilitate recovery from repetitive muscular contractions. Further investigation using standardized protocols measuring similar outcome variables is necessary to more conclusively determine the efficacy of sport massage and the optimal strategy for its implementation to enhance recovery following intense exercise.

Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. 18(5):446-460, September 2008.

Filed under: Massage, Recovery massage

Effects of petrissage massage on fatigue and exercise performance following intensive cycle pedaling

Ogai R, Yamane M, Matsumoto T and Kosaka M

Objective: Petrissage is assumed to influence circulation as well as interstitial drainage of both superficial and deep tissues. To study its effect it was applied between consecutive bouts of supra-maximal exercise performed by the lower leg muscles. Methods: Subjects were 11 healthy female students actively engaged in sports. Exercise bouts of ergometer cycling at loads determined individually (0.75 kp x body weight [kg]) for 5 sec repeated 8-times at intervals of 20 sec had to be performed twice on an experimental day with 35 min intermittent bed rest. Each subject was investigated on two occasions with a minimum interval of one week, once without (control, CO) and once with 10 min petrissage (massage, MA) of the exercising lower leg during the bed rest phase. Effects of exercise bouts on blood lactate, muscle stiffness and perceived lower-limb fatigue and their recovery before and after the second exercise bout were determined. Result: For the first exercise bouts total power did not differ between MA and CO. Courses of blood lactate did not differ between MA and CO. However, recovery from measured muscle stiffness (P < 0.05) and perceived lower-limb fatigure (P < 0.05) were more pronounced and total power during the second exercise bout was enhanced (P < 0.01) in MA as compared to CO subjects.

Conclusion: Petrissage improved cycle ergometer pedaling performance independent of blood lactate but in correlation with improved recovery from muscle stiffness and perceived lower-limb fatigue.

British  Journal of Sports Medicine. Published Online First: 2 April 2008.

doi:10.1136/bjsm.2007.044396

Filed under: Cycling, Massage, Petrissage, Recovery massage

The combined acute effects of massage, rest periods, and body part elevation on resistance exercise performance.

Caruso, JF and Coday, MA

Although massage administered between workouts has been suggested to improve recovery and subsequent performance, its application between bouts of repetitive supramaximal anaerobic efforts within a given workout has received little attention. The purpose of the study compared different forms of very short rest periods administered between resistance exercise sets of individual workouts on subsequent performance. With a within-subjects design methodology, subjects (n = 30) performed three workouts that were identical in terms of the exercises (45[degrees] leg press, prone leg curl, seated shoulder press, standing barbell curl), number of sets, and the resistance employed. For each workout, subjects received one of the following treatments between sets: 1 minute of rest as they stood upright, 30 seconds of rest as they stood upright, or 30 seconds of concurrent massage and body part elevation (MBPE), which entailed petrassage of the exercised limbs in a raised and supported position in an attempt to abate fatigue and enhance recovery from the previous set. Subjects were instructed to perform as many repetitions as possible for each set. For each exercise, two dependent variables were calculated: a total work/elapsed time ratio and the cumulative number of repetitions performed. For each exercise, one-way repeated-measures analysis of variance and Tukey’s post hoc test revealed the following total work/elapsed time results: 1 minute rest <30 seconds’ rest, 30 seconds’ MBPE. For each exercise, cumulative repetition results were as follows: 1 minute rest >30 seconds’ rest, 30 seconds’ MBPE. Results imply that rest period duration exerts more influence on resistance exercise performance than MBPE. Those who seek improved resistance exercise performance should pay particular attention to rest period durations.

Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. 22(2):575-582, March 2008.

Filed under: Massage, Recovery massage, Resistance exercises, Uncategorized