Massage prior to exercise delays the onset of the physical working capacity at the fatigue threshold (PWCFT).

Abstract

Background: Functional massage (FM) is a soft tissue technique that incorporates non-end range joint movement with tissue compression to treat musculotendinous pain and dysfunction. FM has been associated with promoting neural excitability and neuromuscular efficiency. In clinical practice, FM may be used at the beginning of a treatment session to prepare fibers of the target muscle and surrounding soft tissues for functional activity. The Physical Working Capacity at the Fatigue Threshold (PWCFT) uses surface electromyography (EMG) to demarcate between non-fatiguing and fatiguing exercise. To our knowledge, no studies have examined the efficacy of FM when performed prior to an exercise session. The purpose of this study was to determine whether pre-performance FM delays the onset of neuromuscular fatigue. We hypothesized that FM would increase maximal power output as well as PWCFT compared to the control condition.

Methods: Thirteen healthy college-aged men (mean±SEM: age, 24.1±0.5 years; weight, 83.0±3.2 kg; and height, 1.80±0.02 m) ranging from 22 to 28 years-old volunteered for the present study. On two occasions separated by at least 7 days, participants visited the laboratory to perform single-leg knee-extensor ergometer exercise after either receiving 7 min of FM (experimental condition) or no FM (control condition).

Results: The results indicated that the onset of neuromuscular fatigue was significantly delayed for the absolute and relative PWCFT (~80%) values compared to the control condition. There was no significant mean difference between FM and control for maximal power output.

Conclusions: The findings of the present study indicated that FM was effective in delaying neuromuscular fatigue as assessed by PWCFT. These findings may be applicable to both athletic and clinical settings as FM prior to exercise may help to prime a target muscle before training.