"Recovery Techniques on Pain, Force and Muscle Oxygenation in Athletes: A Crossover Trial"
Trial statusNot yet recruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexMale
Age18-35
SponsorSierra Varona SL
About this trial
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the impact of various passive post-exercise recovery techniques on professional athletes. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Do passive recovery modalities significantly improve muscle oxygenation and tissue temperature immediately following high-intensity effort?
Which specific technique is most effective in reducing perceived pain, measured by the pressure pain threshold, and restoring muscle strength?
Researchers will compare six different therapeutic interventions-Transfer of Energy Capacitive and Resistive therapy, manual massage, intermittent negative pressure therapy, extracorporeal shockwave therapy, percussion therapy, and pneumatic pressotherapy-to determine which provides a superior immediate physiological and functional recovery effect.
Participants will:
Perform a high-intensity physical effort designed to induce peripheral fatigue.
Be randomly assigned to receive one of the six recovery protocols.
Undergo objective measurements immediately after the intervention, including near-infrared spectroscopy to assess muscle oxygen saturation, tissue thermography, algometry, and dynamometry.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
None
Disqualifiers
None
Trial design
Design model
Crossover
Treatments tested in this trial
Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT)
DeviceApplication of acoustic pulses to the gastrocnemius muscle to modulate tissue mechanotransduction and improve local microcirculation.
Massage Gun
DeviceMechanical vibration applied to the calf muscles to promote myofascial release and neuromuscular recovery through high-frequency percussion.
TECAR Therapy
DeviceApplication of high-frequency electromagnetic energy (diathermy) to the lower limb to induce deep endogenous heat and accelerate metabolic waste removal.
Manual Massage
Other interventionSystematic manipulation of soft tissues using manual techniques (effleurage and petrissage) focused on reducing muscle tension and perceived soreness.
cupping
DeviceControlled suction therapy applied to the gastrocnemius to create space between fascial layers and stimulate lymphatic and venous drainage.
Pressotherapy
DeviceExternal pneumatic compression through a sequential inflation system to facilitate venous return and reduce lower limb edema post-effort.
Treatment groups
20 Participants
are divided into 6 treatment groups6
Treatment groupsSee each treatment group below.
Group A: Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT)Experimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: Percussive Therapy - Massage GunExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group C: TECAR Therapy -Experimental treatment 1 intervention
Group D: Expert Manual Sports MassageExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group E: Intermittent Negative PressureExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group F: PressotherapyExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Muscle Oxygen Saturation (SmO2)
Measured using Moxy Monitor (Near-Infrared Spectroscopy - NIRS). It evaluates the percentage of hemoglobin/myoglobin oxygenated in the gastrocnemius muscle.
Time frame
immediately post-effort (fatigue), and immediately post-intervention (recovery).2
Pressure Pain Threshold (PPT)
Measured using a digital pressure algometer. It quantifies the minimum pressure (in kg/cm²) at which a participant perceives the stimulus as painful in the gastrocnemius.
Time frame
immediately post-effort (fatigue), and immediately post-intervention (recovery).3
Maximum Isometric Muscle Strength
Measured using a handheld dynamometer. It evaluates the peak force (in Newtons) during a maximum voluntary isometric contraction of the calf muscles.
Time frame
immediately post-effort (fatigue), and immediately post-intervention (recovery).Secondary outcomes
1
Muscle Surface Temperature
Measured using a digital infrared thermography camera. It assesses the changes in skin surface temperature over the gastrocnemius muscle area, reflecting changes in local blood flow.
Time frame
immediately post-effort (fatigue), and immediately post-intervention (recovery).2
Participant Satisfaction and Perceived Recovery
Measured using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and a customized survey (Likert scale 1-5). Participants rate which recovery modality felt better and their perceived level of muscle readiness for a new effort.
Time frame
5 minutes after each recovery intervention.Locations
Sponsors and contacts
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Source ClinicalTrials.gov
This trial is not recruiting at the moment. You can still explore other options: