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.
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.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
26
Each osteopathic manipulative treatment consisted of a structured evaluation to diagnose somatic dysfunction of the pelvis, abdomen, vertebral spine, and upper and lower limbs (10 min), followed by the therapeutic application of manually guided forces to improve physiological function and homeostasis that has been altered by somatic dysfunction for 20 min, using techniques that were left at the discretion of the osteopath, including the myofascial release and cranial sacrum techniques
The sham treatment consisted only in "soft touch" of the same body areas involved in the osteopathic manipulative treatment protocol without applying any pressure
Collegio Italiano di Osteopatia
Parma, Italy
Resting heart rate
Mean heart rate measured as beats per minute
Time frame: ECG recorded for 10 min just before osteopathic manipulative treatment and sham treatment
Resting heart rate
Mean heart rate measured as beats per minute
Time frame: ECG recorded for 5 min just after osteopathic manipulative treatment and sham treatment
Resting heart rate variability (RMSSD index)
Root mean square of the successive differences between adjacent heart beats (RMSSD) measured in ms
Time frame: ECG recorded for 10 min just before osteopathic manipulative treatment and sham treatment
Resting heart rate variability (RMSSD index)
Root mean square of the successive differences between adjacent heart beats (RMSSD) measured in ms
Time frame: ECG recorded for 5 min just after osteopathic manipulative treatment and sham treatment
Resting heart rate variability (HF index)
High frequency (HF) component power of the RR interval spectrum measured in ms2
Time frame: ECG recorded for 10 min just before osteopathic manipulative treatment and sham treatment
Resting heart rate variability (HF index)
High frequency (HF) component power of the RR interval spectrum measured in ms2
Time frame: ECG recorded for 5 min just after osteopathic manipulative treatment and sham treatment
Resting mean arterial pressure
Mean arterial pressure measured in mmHg
Time frame: Assessed just before osteopathic manipulative treatment and sham treatment with a sphygmomanometer
Resting mean arterial pressure
Mean arterial pressure measured in mmHg
Time frame: Assessed just after osteopathic manipulative treatment and sham treatment with a sphygmomanometer
Heart rate reactivity to orthostasis
Mean heart rate measured as beats per minute
Time frame: ECG recorded for 10 min during orthostasis (5 min) and subsequent recovery (5 min)
Heart rate variability (RMSSD index) reactivity to orthostasis
Root mean square of the successive differences between adjacent heart beats measured in ms
Time frame: ECG recorded for 10 min during orthostasis (5 min) and subsequent recovery (5 min)
Heart rate variability (HF index) reactivity to orthostasis
High frequency component power of the RR interval spectrum measured in ms2
Time frame: ECG recorded for 10 min during orthostasis (5 min) and subsequent recovery (5 min)
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