"Recovery Techniques on Pain, Force and Muscle Oxygenation in Pro Athletes: A Crossover Trial"

Sierra Varona SL

Status: Begins enrollment this month

Conditions: Muscle Soreness; Athletic Injuries; Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

Treatments: Other: Manual Massage; Device: Pressotherapy; Device: cupping; Device: Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT); Device: Massage Gun; Device: TECAR Therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07387276

22

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the impact of different passive post-effort recovery techniques on professional athletes. The main questions it aims to answer are:

-Do passive recovery modalities significantly improve muscle oxygenation and tissue temperature immediately after high-intensity effort? Which specific technique is most effective in reducing perceived pain (pressure pain threshold) and restoring muscle strength?

Researchers will compare six different therapeutic interventions-TECAR therapy, massage, intermittent negative pressure (cupping), shockwave therapy, percussion guns, and pressotherapy-to see which provides the superior immediate physiological and functional recovery effect. Participants will:

Perform a high-intensity physical effort designed to induce peripheral fatigue.Be randomly assigned to receive one of the six recovery protocols.Undergo objective measurements immediately after the intervention, including muscle oxygen saturation (NIRS), tissue thermography, algometry, and dynamometry.

Full description

This project consists of a randomized, double-blind (tester and statistician), crossover clinical trial. The study aims to address the critical need for evidence-based recovery strategies in high-demand sports like basketball, where muscle overload is a primary risk factor for injuries.The investigation will focus on the immediate effects of six widely used physiotherapy modalities:

TECAR Therapy: Used to improve perfusion and modulate inflammation through deep tissue heating.

Percussive Massage (Massage Guns): Applied to reduce stiffness and enhance explosive force through mechanical vibration.

Shockwave Therapy (ESWT): Evaluated for its capacity to improve muscular microcirculation and accelerate tissue regeneration.

Pressotherapy (External Pneumatic Compression): Targeting the reduction of pain and the sensation of heaviness in the lower limbs.

Intermittent Negative Pressure (Cupping): Investigated for its role in improving blood flow and pain modulation Sports Massage: The traditional manual intervention for reducing delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and improving flexibility. Physiological monitoring will be conducted using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) via Moxy Monitors to measure muscle oxygen saturation (SmO2) and total hemoglobin, providing direct data on muscle oxidative metabolism. Functional outcomes will be assessed through pressure pain thresholds (algometry) and isometric strength (dynamometry) to determine the effectiveness of each technique in restoring neuromuscular homeostasis.The study will be conducted at the Sierra Varona Physiotherapy Clinic (Toledo) between february and march 2026.

Enrollment: 20 estimated patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 18 to 35 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Professional or Semi-professional athletes (specifically basketball players or endurance athletes) with a minimum of 2 years of competitive experience.

Aged between 18 and 35 years.

Healthy individuals with no current musculoskeletal injuries in the lower limbs.

Regular training frequency of at least 4-5 sessions per week.

Signed informed consent to participate in the study and follow the 6-week crossover protocol.

Commitment to maintain similar nutritional and sleep habits throughout the duration of the study.

Exclusion criteria

Presence of any acute or chronic injury in the gastrocnemius or Achilles tendon in the last 6 months.

Contraindications for specific therapies:

For Shockwave Therapy: Blood clotting disorders or use of anticoagulants.

For TECAR/Diathermy: Metal implants in the lower limbs or pacemakers.

For Cupping: Acute skin infections or dermatological hypersensitivity.

Consumption of performance-enhancing drugs, anti-inflammatory medication (NSAIDs), or stimulants that could affect muscle oxygenation (SmO2) or pain perception.

Recent surgery in the lower extremities (within the last year).

Inability to complete the standardized fatigue protocol or attend all 6 intervention sessions.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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20 participants in 6 patient groups

Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT)

Experimental group

Description:

pplication of radial shockwave therapy using the Longest LGT-2500S device. A total of 2,000 pulses will be applied to the gastrocnemius muscle (medial and lateral heads) at a pressure of 2.5 bar and a frequency of 10-15 Hz. The intervention aims to improve local microcirculation and reduce myofascial stiffness.

Treatment:

Device: Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT)

Percussive Therapy - Massage Gun

Experimental group

Description:

Application of percussive massage using the Hyperice Hypervolt 2 Pro (commonly used in clinical studies). The intervention will last 5-10 minutes on the gastrocnemius at a frequency of 50 Hz (Level 3), focusing on the muscle-tendon junction to enhance neuromuscular recovery.

Treatment:

Device: Massage Gun

TECAR Therapy -

Experimental group

Description:

Use of the Fisiowarm 300 (Golden Star, Italy) diathermy system. The treatment will be applied for 15 minutes in a combination of capacitive and resistive modes at a frequency of 500 kHz. The intensity will be set to a thermal level (Type III) to promote deep vasodilation and metabolic clearance in the calf muscles.

Treatment:

Device: TECAR Therapy

Expert Manual Sports Massage

Experimental group

Description:

A 15-to-20-minute standardized sports massage session performed by a senior physiotherapist with over 20 years of experience in elite sports. The protocol includes deep effleurage, petrissage, and transverse friction to alleviate muscle tension and improve blood flow in the gastrocnemius.

Treatment:

Other: Manual Massage

Intermittent Negative Pressure

Experimental group

Description:

Application of intermittent negative pressure using the Physium System (multimodal vacuum therapy). The protocol consists of a 10-minute session on the gastrocnemius area to decompress tissue layers, enhance lymphatic drainage, and modulate mechanoreceptors for pain reduction.

Treatment:

Device: cupping

Pressotherapy

Experimental group

Description:

use of the Hermes professional pressotherapy system. The treatment will last 20 minutes with a sequential 6-chamber inflation cycle and a pressure of 70-80 mmHg, targeting the acceleration of venous return and reduction of post-effort edema.

Treatment:

Device: Pressotherapy