Clinical trial NCT04242485: Osteopathy Treatment and Cardiovascular Recovery After a Rugby Match
Official title: Osteopathy Treatment Restores Cardiovascular Autonomic Parameters in Rugby Players
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena
Keywords: heart rate
heart rate variability
blood pressure
rugby match
atlethes
recovery
osteopathy
Lead sponsor: University of Parma
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Collegio Italiano di Osteopatia
name: Foundation COME Collaboration
First posted: 2020-01-27
Enrollment: 26
Sex: MALE
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT), a form of non-invasive manual treatment, for a faster recovery of cardiovascular parameters after a rugby union match in professional male athletes. To this end, the effects of OMT on resting cardiovascular function and cardiovascular reactivity were evaluated in twenty-three male players 18-20 hours after a match and compared with a corresponding no-match (control) condition. Assessment of resting cardiovascular parameters 18-20 hours after a match revealed the presence of elevated mean arterial pressure and heart rate, and reduced vagally-mediated heart rate variability compared with a no-match condition. OMT provoked a significant reduction in mean arterial pressure and increased vagally-mediated heart rate variability at rest both in the after match and control conditions. Moreover, OMT favoured a larger vagal withdrawal in response to an orthostatic stress compared with a sham treatment. These results suggest that OMT may be implemented as a recovery strategy to restore athletes' cardiovascular homeostasis after a rugby union match.

Detailed description: The presence of cardiovascular autonomic alterations in the aftermath of an intense exercise performed during a competitive match may indicate incomplete recovery and prolonged fatigue.Therefore, the implementation of effective interventions aimed at favoring a faster recovery of athletes' cardiovascular homeostasis in the aftermath of a competitive match may be beneficial for greater adaptations to subsequent training and enhanced overall performance. In this regard, osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is a form of non-invasive manual treatment that uses a set of touch, manipulation and mobilization procedures to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness or injury. In the present study, the investigators sought to explore the efficacy of a single session of OMT in restoring alterations in cardiovascular parameters at rest and in response to an orthostatic challenge in trained adult male athletes long after (18-20 hours) a rugby union match.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* being healthy and injury-free
* age ≥ 18 years old
* being Caucasian
* regular participation in competitive matches of rugby union consisting of 2, 40-min halves
* regular training for an average of six hours/week during the last four weeks

Exclusion Criteria:

* history of cardiovascular disease or traumatic brain injury
* chronic drug treatment
* use of any medications during the last week
* having received osteopathic manipulative treatment before

Primary outcomes:
measure: Resting heart rate
timeFrame: ECG recorded for 10 min just before osteopathic manipulative treatment and sham treatment
measure: Resting heart rate
timeFrame: ECG recorded for 5 min just after osteopathic manipulative treatment and sham treatment
measure: Resting heart rate variability (RMSSD index)
timeFrame: ECG recorded for 10 min just before osteopathic manipulative treatment and sham treatment
measure: Resting heart rate variability (RMSSD index)
timeFrame: ECG recorded for 5 min just after osteopathic manipulative treatment and sham treatment
measure: Resting heart rate variability (HF index)
timeFrame: ECG recorded for 10 min just before osteopathic manipulative treatment and sham treatment
measure: Resting heart rate variability (HF index)
timeFrame: ECG recorded for 5 min just after osteopathic manipulative treatment and sham treatment
measure: Resting mean arterial pressure
timeFrame: Assessed just before osteopathic manipulative treatment and sham treatment with a sphygmomanometer
measure: Resting mean arterial pressure
timeFrame: Assessed just after osteopathic manipulative treatment and sham treatment with a sphygmomanometer
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Heart rate reactivity to orthostasis
timeFrame: ECG recorded for 10 min during orthostasis (5 min) and subsequent recovery (5 min)
measure: Heart rate variability (RMSSD index) reactivity to orthostasis
timeFrame: ECG recorded for 10 min during orthostasis (5 min) and subsequent recovery (5 min)
measure: Heart rate variability (HF index) reactivity to orthostasis
timeFrame: ECG recorded for 10 min during orthostasis (5 min) and subsequent recovery (5 min)
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Parma
country: Italy
facility: Collegio Italiano di Osteopatia
Study officials:
References: