A Physiologic Evaluation of the Sports Massage

This study determines the physiological re­ sponses of 10 healthy college-age subjects during submaximal exercise on the treadmill with and without a prior 30minute sports massage. The Beckman Metabolic Measure­ ment Cart was used to determine the subjects' steady-state responses. Cardiac output was determined by the indirect CO2 Fick method; mixed venous PCO2 was calculated using the equilibrium CO2 rebreathing method. No significant differences in central (HR, SV, Q) or peripheral (a-v~O2 diff) responses were found between the two submaximal exercise tests. Also, there were no significant differences in lactic acid (LA) and blood pressure responses. The results indicate that massage immediately prior to submaximal exercise at 80% intensity had no effect on the subjects' cardiovascular sys­ tems. O of the unresolved questions in athletics is the physio­ logical benefits of massage, yet it is well accepted as an integral part of coaching and athletic conditioning. Athletes have come to accept massage as a way to improve perform­ ance. Physical therapists, orthopedists, and osteopaths use massage for rehabilitation (19) and to promote relaxation (9). Many claims have been made for the use of massage, but few are based on controlled and carefully designed laboratory studies (4,5,16,21). For example, there seems to be some agreement that massage does not hasten nerve growth, re­ move subcutaneous fat, or increase muscle strength (6). Not surprisingly however, many athletes use massage to alleviate muscle cramps and remove lactic acid (14); increase pain threshold, flexibility, and coordination (11); stimulate circuTommy Boone is Professor of Exercise Physiology and Director, Anatomy Laboratory, with the School of Human Performance and Recreation at the University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, 39406-5142 Rae Cooper is an Exercise Physiologist and Massage Therapist in Hattiesburg. Walter Thompson is Associate Professor of Exercise Physiology and Director of Laboratory of Applied Physiol­ ogy with the School of Human Performance and Recreation at the University of Southern Mississippi, in Hattiesburg. lation and improve the transport of energy to muscles (15,17); and speed up healing and restoration of joint mobility (11). Unfortunately, the basis for prescribing massage relies solely on practical experience rather than scientific principles (2). The recuperative benefits may be more psychological than physiological. Part of the difficulty in distinguishing psychological and physiological benefits lies with the lack of adequate scientific research to test various hypotheses. Therefore, athletes should probably be cautious of the various massage programs purportedly designed to enhance physical performance, and restore and/or maintain normal muscle function. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the sports massage results in positive physiological responses during submaximal exercise, and whether the responses were caused by the central or peripheral adjustments. METHODS Ten healthy male volunteers (age=28 ±2.6 yrs, wt=65.2 + 9.2 kg) were studied. The procedure was fully explained, and informed consent was obtained prior to the study. This investigation was approved by the institution's Human Sub­ jects Review Committee. The subjects participated in both the Control Session (exercise without prior massage) and the Treatment Session (exercise with prior massage). The order of the sessions per subject was determined by a table of random numbers. The submaximal exercise on the treadmill was designed to elicit 80% of the subjects' maximal heart rates. The following formula was used to determine the desired heart rate intensity: Exercise HR (bpm) = 220 age (years). At "0" grade, the treadmill speed was increased per subject to approximate the desired heart rate response. The same exercise conditions were repeated during the second exercise test. The sports massage therapist used alternating deep strokes and broad cross-fiber strokes of the lower extremities (i.e., the muscles were squeezed, compressed, and rolled) for a dura­ tion of 30 minutes. The therapist, an Australian trained mas­ seur, worked with athletes who considered massage critical to their performance. Oxygen consumption was determined every minute by Volume 26 — Spring 1991 • Athletic Training, JNATA 51 the Beckman Metabolic Measurement Cart (MMC), which was calibrated by certified gas prior to exercise. Blood pressure was monitored by auscultation of the left brachial artery using a standard mercury manometer. Heart rate was derived from the electrocardiograph during the last 15 sec­ onds of each minute of exercise. Cardiac output was esti­ mated during the last minute of exercise using the MMC Clinical Exercise Testing Program. Arterial CO2 (PaCO2) was derived from the end-tidal PCO2 (PETCO2). Mixed venous PCO2 (PvCO2) was derived from the rebreathing procedure during which the subjects were disconnected from the non-breathing valve and connected to a bag filled with 11.75% CO2 in oxygen. A Beckman MMC recorder was used to graphically examine the CO2 signal generated during the rebreathing to ensure that a satisfactory PCO2 equilibrium was achieved. Stroke volume was calculated by dividing cardiac output by heart rate. Arteriovenous oxygen differ­ ence was calculated by dividing oxygen consumption by cardiac output. Lactic acid was determined upon cessation of exercise using the spectrophotometric (Gilford Stasar III) technique (18). RESULTS Means and standard deviations were computed for all physiological responses (Table 1). Paired t-test indicated no significant differences (p > .05) between the Control Session exercise data (exercise without prior massage) and the Treat­ ment Session exercise data (exercise with prior massage). DISCUSSION This study found that the sports massage did not result in an improved exercise performance, and that the subjects' Table 1. A physiological comparison of the Control (exercise without massage) and Treatment (exercise with massage) re­ sponses during 10 minutes of steady-state treadmill exercise (Mean and Standard Deviation)