Clinical trial NCT05167162: Efficacy of the Most Commonly Used Physiotherapeutic Treatments for Acute Lower Limb Fatigue in Athletes
Official title: Efficacy of the Most Commonly Used Physiotherapeutic Treatments for Acute Lower Limb Fatigue in Athletes
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Lower Limb Injury
Keywords: Lower limbs
Physiotherapy
Athlete
Biomechanics
Protocol
Lead sponsor: Clinica Gema Leon
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2021-12-22
Enrollment: 80
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 20
Maximum age (years): 25
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Intervention model description: 80 patients divided into 4 groups of equal size and randomly selected. The 4 treatment methods used will be as follows:

Group 1: Compression techniques (n=20). Group 2: Massage techniques (n=20) Group 3: Hydrotherapy (n=20) Group 4: Active recovery technique (n=20)
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: Acute fatigue is the inability to generate a required or expected level of force or exercise intensity, whether or not preceded by previous exercise. It is an important risk factor in overuse injuries. It is multifactorial in nature and its mechanisms of formation are imprecise. This type of fatigue can affect both the peripheral level, generating neuromuscular or peripheral fatigue, and the central level, generating central fatigue Objective: To study several physiotherapeutic protocols, analyzing the degree of effectiveness of each one for the recovery of acute fatigue in athletes. Design: Prospective randomized experimental study with 4 groups of physiotherapeutic protocols suitable in acute fatigue recovery. Participants: Presentation of 80 patients treated with 4 therapeutic protocols, equally divided and purposely sexed. The four protocols were divided into: Active recovery (n=20) hydrotherapy (n=20) massage (n=20) and compression (n=20) for 4 weeks of treatment. Intervention: Active recovery protocols (group 1) hydrotherapy protocol (group 2) massage protocol (group 3) and comprehension protocol (group 4).

Keywords: Lower limbs, physiotherapy, athlete, biomechanics, protocol.

Detailed description: The etiology of injury in sport is multifactorial, generated by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. There is evidence that supports that the management and handling of loads is the factor that generates the greatest risk of injury and that not respecting the load-recovery balance can lead to an accumulation of fatigue resulting in poor training adaptation which leads to increased risk of injury. From a physiological approach, fatigue is defined as a functional failure of the organism which, due to excessive energy expenditure and depletion of substrates necessary for energy production, leads to a decrease in performance.

Acute fatigue is the inability to generate a required or expected level of exercise force or intensity, whether or not preceded by previous exercise. Acute fatigue is an important risk factor in overuse injuries. It is multifactorial in nature and its mechanisms of formation are imprecise. This type of fatigue can affect both the peripheral level, generating neuromuscular or peripheral fatigue, and the central level, generating central fatigue. Peripheral or neuromuscular fatigue is the result of altered musculoskeletal homeostasis due to a limitation or failure of one or more motor unit processes, producing a dysfunction in the contraction process. Central fatigue is an involuntary failure in brain function or nerve impulse conduction, resulting in impaired transmission from the central nervous system (CNS) and impaired motor axon recruitment. One of the main factors associated with central fatigue is the alteration of synthesis and activity of some neurotransmitters.

Elite athletes push their training to the limit in order to maximize their performance. This generates muscle damage that results in a breakdown of structural proteins of muscle fibers and connective tissues, causing tissue inflammation, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) and an increase in perceived fatigue. To maximize an athlete's ability to perform, it is not only the training that must be addressed, but also the balance between training and recovery. This prevents maladaptation to physiological and psychological stresses induced by the load. Therefore, it is important for the athlete to optimize the recovery period to reduce the risk of injury.

The purpose of this research is to demonstrate the efficacy of various physiotherapeutic protocols, analyzing the degree of effectiveness in each of these for recovery from acute fatigue in athletes.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Active athletes
* Presentation of typical clinical signs of acute fatigue in one of the two lower limbs
* Positive diagnosis of acute fatigue

Exclusion Criteria:

* Not compatible with age range
* Healthy athletes
* Diagnosed injuries other than acute fatigue

Primary outcomes:
measure: State-Trait Anxiety Questionnaire (STAI)
timeFrame: five months
measure: Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE)
timeFrame: five months
measure: Scale Countermovement jump (CMJ)
timeFrame: five months
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Number of participants in each physical therapy application
timeFrame: five months
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Córdoba
country: Spain
facility: Gema León Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Clinic
state: Andalucía
Study officials:
affiliation: Gema León Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Clinic
name: Gema León Bravo, Physiotherap
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: Universidad de Córdoba
name: Rafael Arenas Quiles, Physiotherap
role: STUDY_CHAIR
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