Effects of myofascial release after high-intensity exercise: a randomized clinical trial.
OBJECTIVE
The usefulness of massage as a recovery method after high-intensity exercise has yet to be established. We aimed to investigate the effects of whole-body massage on heart rate variability (HRV) and blood pressure (BP) after repeated high-intensity cycling exercise under controlled and standardized pretest conditions.


METHODS
The study included 62 healthy active individuals. After baseline measurements, the subjects performed standardized warm-up exercises followed by three 30-second Wingate tests. After completing the exercise protocol, the subjects were randomly assigned to a massage (myofascial release) or placebo (sham treatment with disconnected ultrasound and magnetotherapy equipment) group for a 40-minute recovery period. Holter recording and BP measurements were taken after exercise protocol and after the intervention.


RESULTS
After the exercise protocol, both groups showed a significant decrease in normal-to-normal interval, HRV index, diastolic BP (P > .001), and low-frequency domain values (P = .006). After the recovery period, HRV index (P = .42) and high-frequency (HF) (P = .94) values were similar to baseline levels in the massage group, whereas the HRV index tended (P = .05) to be lower and the HF was significantly (P < .01) lower vs baseline values in the placebo group, which also showed a tendency (P = .06) for HF to be lower than after the exercise. Likewise, diastolic BP returned to baseline levels in the massage group (P = .45) but remained lower in the placebo group (P = .02).


CONCLUSIONS
Myofascial release massage favors the recovery of HRV and diastolic BP after high-intensity exercise (3 Wingate tests) to preexercise levels.
Arroyo-Morales
Manuel
M
Physiotherapy Department, High Altitude Training Centre of Sierra Nevada, Higher Sports Council, Health Sciences School, University of Granada, Granada, Spain. marroyo@ugr.es
Olea
Nicolas
N
Martinez
Manuel
M
Moreno-Lorenzo
Carmen
C
Díaz-Rodríguez
Lourdes
L
Hidalgo-Lozano
Amparo
A
D000328:Adult; D001642:Bicycling / Q000502:physiology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008405:Massage / Q000379:methods*; D018763:Muscle Fatigue / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values