Osteopathy Treatment and Cardiovascular Recovery After a Rugby Match

University of Parma

Status: Completed

Conditions: Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena

Treatments: Other: Osteopathic manipulative treatment; Other: Sham treatment

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04242485

032017

Details and patient eligibility

About

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.

Full 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.

Enrollment: 26 patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

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

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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26 participants in 4 patient groups

AFTER MATCH + OMT

Other group

Description:

Players undertook a recording session the day after a rugby match and received osteopathic manipulative treatment

Treatment:

Other: Osteopathic manipulative treatment

AFTER MATCH + sham treatment

Other group

Description:

Players undertook a recording session the day after a rugby match and received sham treatment

Treatment:

Other: Sham treatment

NO MATCH + OMT

Other group

Description:

Players undertook a recording session the day after a resting day and received osteopathic manipulative treatment

Treatment:

Other: Osteopathic manipulative treatment

NO MATCH + sham treatment

Other group

Description:

Players undertook a recording session the day after a resting day and received sham treatment

Treatment:

Other: Sham treatment