Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena
Conditions
Keywords
heart rate, heart rate variability, blood pressure, rugby match, atlethes, recovery, osteopathy
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.
Interventions
OTHEROsteopathic manipulative treatment
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
OTHERSham treatment
The sham treatment consisted only in soft touch of the same body areas involved in the osteopathic manipulative treatment protocol without applying any pressure
Sponsors
Collegio Italiano di Osteopatia
Foundation COME Collaboration
University of Parma
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
MALE
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
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
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Resting heart rate | ECG recorded for 10 min just before osteopathic manipulative treatment and sham treatment | Mean heart rate measured as beats per minute |
| Resting heart rate variability (RMSSD index) | ECG recorded for 10 min just before osteopathic manipulative treatment and sham treatment | Root mean square of the successive differences between adjacent heart beats (RMSSD) measured in ms |
| Resting heart rate variability (HF index) | ECG recorded for 10 min just before osteopathic manipulative treatment and sham treatment | High frequency (HF) component power of the RR interval spectrum measured in ms2 |
| Resting mean arterial pressure | Assessed just before osteopathic manipulative treatment and sham treatment with a sphygmomanometer | Mean arterial pressure measured in mmHg |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Heart rate variability (RMSSD index) reactivity to orthostasis | ECG recorded for 10 min during orthostasis (5 min) and subsequent recovery (5 min) | Root mean square of the successive differences between adjacent heart beats measured in ms |
| Heart rate variability (HF index) reactivity to orthostasis | ECG recorded for 10 min during orthostasis (5 min) and subsequent recovery (5 min) | High frequency component power of the RR interval spectrum measured in ms2 |
| Heart rate reactivity to orthostasis | ECG recorded for 10 min during orthostasis (5 min) and subsequent recovery (5 min) | Mean heart rate measured as beats per minute |
Countries
Italy
Outcome results
None listed