Effect of pre-performance lower-limb massage on thirty-meter sprint running
Two articles on PainSci cite Goodwin 2007: 1. Does Massage Therapy Work? 2. Massage Therapy Side Effects
PainSci commentary on Goodwin 2007: ?This page is one of thousands in the PainScience.com bibliography. It is not a general article: it is focused on a single scientific paper, and it may provide only just enough context for the summary to make sense. Links to other papers and more general information are provided wherever possible.
This is small but straightforward and well-designed trial that quite clearly shows that massage had no effect on sprinting, good or bad.
The final sentence of the abstract cracks me up: “Massage remains indicated” for other reasons… that have yet to be challenged by research like this, but almost inevitably will be in time.
original abstract †Abstracts here may not perfectly match originals, for a variety of technical and practical reasons. Some abstacts are truncated for my purposes here, if they are particularly long-winded and unhelpful. I occasionally add clarifying notes. And I make some minor corrections.
Massage is a commonly utilized therapy within sports, frequently intended as an ergogenic aid prior to performance. However, evidence as to the efficacy of massage in this respect is lacking, and massage may in some instances reduce force production. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of massage on subsequent 30-m sprint running performance. Male university level repeat sprint sports players volunteered for the study (n = 37). After each of 3 treatment conditions, subjects completed a standardized warm-up followed by three 30-m sprint trials in a counterbalanced crossover design. Treatment conditions were 15 minutes of lower-limb massage (M), 15 minutes of placebo ultrasound (PU), and rest (R). Thirty-meter sprint times were recorded (including 10-m split times) for the 3 trials under each condition. Best times at 10 m (M: 1.85 +/- 0.09 seconds, PU: 1.84 +/- 0.11 seconds, R: 1.83 +/- 0.10 seconds) and 30 m (M: 4.41 +/- 0.27 seconds, PU: 4.39 +/- 0.28 seconds, R: 4.39 +/- 0.28 seconds) were not significantly different (p> 0.05). There was no significant treatment, trial, or interaction effect for 10- or 30-m sprint times (p> 0.05). No difference was seen in the location of subjects' best times across the 3 trials (p> 0.05). Relative to placebo or control, the results of this study showed that a controlled 15-minute lower-limb massage administered prior to warm-up had no significant effect on subsequent 30-m sprint performance. Massage remains indicated prior to performance where other benefits, such as reduced muscle spasm and psychological stress, might be served to the athlete.
related content
- “The effect of massage on acceleration and sprint performance in track \& field athletes,” Ryan N Moran, John M Hauth, and Robert Rabena, Complement Ther Clin Pract, 2018.
- “The effects of precompetition massage on the kinematic parameters of 20-m sprint performance,” Iain M Fletcher, Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 2010.
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- Association Between Plantar Fasciitis and Isolated Gastrocnemius Tightness. Nakale 2018 Foot Ankle Int.
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