Anatomy-Physiotherapy-logo

  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Français (France)
  • Portuguese (PT)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • Spanish (ES)
  • English (UK)
New english website, click here ->

           

  • Articles
    Evidence based articles
    • Musculoskeletal
      • Upper extremity
      • Lower extremity
      • Spine
    • Other
      • Nervous
      • Circulatory
      • Nutrition
      • Aging
      • Pain
      • Various
  • Art & Design
    Anatomy related art
  • Videos
    Webinars & more
  • Create account
    Personal pages & favourites
  • Login
    Login to A&P
Anatomy-Physiotherapy-logo
22 Jul2016

22 July 2016.

Written by The Australian Physiotherapy Association
Posted in Various

22-07-2016 07:54:56
thanyapura
Image by: thanyapura

Massage therapy decreases pain and fatigue after triathlon

An Ironman triathlon is one of the most gruelling events in the world: 3.8km swim, 180km cycle and 42.2km run. Enduring the range of common side effects of competing can be equally gruelling: dehydration, hyponatraemia, musculoskelatal injuries, hypothermia, abrasions, hypoglycaemia and vomiting. When it's all over, competitors would like to know that a massage will help to ease their pain and fatigue.

Interestingly, the existing data about the effects of massage on the resolution of pain and fatigue after exercise to the point of fatigue is somewhat indirect. Most clinical trials on this topic have taken athletes before applying the massage, but the exercise used to bring on fatigue has been short duration, very high intensity exercise, rather than the very prolonged (e.g., 12 hour) exercise required to complete an Ironman triathlon. A recent study has tested whether massage is still improves the resolution of pain and fatigue in the 'real world' setting of an Ironman triathlon event.

This trial randomised 74 Ironman triathletes to massage or control immediately after competing. Even a relatively brief 7-minute sequence of massage techniques significantly reduced pain and fatigue locally at the quadriceps, where the massage techniques were applied. The authors of the study comment that the magnitude of the beneficial effects on pain and fatigue may be able to be increased by extending the duration of the massage.

A clue was also elicited regarding the mechanism by which massage reduces pain and locally perceived fatigue. The amount of pressure over the quadriceps required to elicit pain did not change with massage. This suggests that the benefits of massage cannot be explained by neurological responses based on the gate control theory of pain relief. Possible explanations may be related to physiological responses through the β-endorphin release or catabolite elimination or to psychological pathways where attention and manual contact can lead to a sense of well-being. With respect to fatigue, there can be both central and peripheral sources, with lack of energy substrate and metabolic waste concentration being the most probable causes.

Thus, it can be assumed that the positive effects of massage therapy on perceived fatigue are related to greater localised blood circulation either by mechanical effect or temperature increase, which aid in the removal of metabolic waste. Exhausted athletes may be more interested in the results than the mechanisms. Spending time on the massage table after the event can definitely be recommended.

Want to read deeper into this topic? Have a look at the free full text version of this article published in Journal of Physiotherapy!

 

> From: Nunes et al., J Physiother 62 (2016) 83-87. All rights reserved to the Australian Physiotherapy Association. Click here for the Pubmed summary.

pinterest
Image by: pinterest

Tags: ironman, fatigue, RCT, Triathlon , Massage therapy

Please log in or create an account to place comments. It's free and takes only a minute.

About the Author
Australian Physiotherapy Association
Australian Physiotherapy Association
The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) is the peak body representing the interests of Australian physiotherapists and their patients. The orga...

Latest articles from this auhtor

  • Exer-games for rehabilitation in hospital
  • Physiotherapists in the Emergency Department
  • Physios are helping women to feel less pain during labour
  • Physiotherapy management of lung cancer
  • Exercise improves fatigue and mobility in cancer survivors
 

 

Login

  • Forgot your password?
  • Forgot your username?
  • Create an account
AP banner Sono 1

Related

  • Occurrence of fatigue over 20 years after recovery from Guillain-Barré syndrome.
  • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation reduces pain, fatigue and hyperalgesia while restoring central inhibition in primary fibromyalgia.
  • Multiple Sclerosis: The Benefits of Physical Activity. [free PhD. thesis]
  • Group exercise training for balance, functional status, spasticity, fatigue and quality of life in multiple sclerosis: a randomized controlled trial.
  • Changes in drop-jump landing biomechanics during prolonged intermittent exercise

Sub Menu

  • Musculoskeletal
    • Upper extremity
      • Shoulder
      • Elbow
      • Wrist
      • Hand
    • Lower extremity
      • Hip
      • Knee
      • Ankle
      • Foot
    • Spine
      • Pelvis
      • Lumbar
      • Thoracic
      • Rib cage
      • Cervical
  • Other
    • Nervous
    • Circulatory
    • Nutrition
    • Aging
    • Pain
    • Various

Newsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive all articles of the week in your mailbox.

 

Partners

enraf nonius

apa

fontys

vpt

kiné care

ICMSU

  • Home
  • About
  • Team
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Jobs
  • Newsletter archive
AP-SMALL-WHITECopyright 2010 - 2021 Anatomy & Physiotherapy. All Rights Reserved.

Privacy Policy

AdBlock detected

We want to keep offering top-notch content for free. In order to keep up with the additional costs that we incurr with scaling our website, we need your help! Please turn off your adblocker or consider donating a small amount.

http://www.anatomy-physiotherapy.com/donate

Close
You can also just close this popup. It shows only once.
isApp.it
  • Articles
    Evidence based articles
    • Musculoskeletal
      • Upper extremity
        • Shoulder
        • Elbow
        • Wrist
        • Hand
      • Lower extremity
        • Hip
        • Knee
        • Ankle
        • Foot
      • Spine
        • Pelvis
        • Lumbar
        • Thoracic
        • Rib cage
        • Cervical
    • Other
      • Nervous
      • Circulatory
      • Nutrition
      • Aging
      • Pain
      • Various
  • Art & Design
    Anatomy related art
  • Videos
    Webinars & more
  • Create account
    Personal pages & favourites
  • Login
    Login to A&P
You are now being logged in using your Facebook credentials