title: Massage therapy decreases pain and perceived fatigue after long-distance Ironman triathlon: a randomised trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Can massage therapy reduce pain and perceived fatigue in the quadriceps of athletes after a long-distance triathlon race (Ironman)?
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomised, controlled trial with concealed allocation, intention-to-treat analysis and blinded outcome assessors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-four triathlon athletes who completed an entire Ironman triathlon race and whose main complaint was pain in the anterior portion of the thigh.
  
  
  METHODS
  The experimental group received massage to the quadriceps, which was aimed at recovery after competition, and the control group rested in sitting.
  
  
  METHODS
  The outcomes were pain and perceived fatigue, which were reported using a visual analogue scale, and pressure pain threshold at three points over the quadriceps muscle, which was assessed using digital pressure algometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The experimental group had significantly lower scores than the control group on the visual analogue scale for pain (MD -7 mm, 95% CI -13 to -1) and for perceived fatigue (MD -15 mm, 95% CI -21 to -9). There were no significant between-group differences for the pressure pain threshold at any of the assessment points.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Massage therapy was more effective than no intervention on the post-race recovery from pain and perceived fatigue in long-distance triathlon athletes.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials, RBR-4n2sxr.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, Center of Health and Sport Sciences, Santa Catarina State University, Florianópolis.
authors.forename: Guilherme S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, Center of Health and Sport Sciences, Santa Catarina State University, Florianópolis.
authors.forename: Paula Urio
authors.initials: PU
authors.lastname: Bender
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, Estácio University Center of Santa Catarina, São José, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fábio Sprada
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: de Menezes
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, Center of Health and Sport Sciences, Santa Catarina State University, Florianópolis.
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yamashitafuji
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, Center of Health and Sport Sciences, Santa Catarina State University, Florianópolis; Department of Physiology, São Paulo Federal University, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Valentine Zimermann
authors.initials: VZ
authors.lastname: Vargas
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, Center of Health and Sport Sciences, Santa Catarina State University, Florianópolis.
authors.forename: Bruna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wageck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D056352:Athletes; D005221:Fatigue / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008405:Massage; D008875:Middle Aged; D018763:Muscle Fatigue; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D013177:Sports; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Athletes; Fatigue; Musculoskeletal manipulations; Musculoskeletal pain; Quadriceps muscle