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Photobiomodulation, Cryotherapy Combined With Compression, and Massage for Recovery

Comparison Between Photobiomodulation, Cryotherapy Combined With Compression, and Massage for Muscle Recovery in Crossfit Athletes

Status
Completed
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05627141
Enrollment
60
Registered
2022-11-25
Start date
2022-03-01
Completion date
2023-07-01
Last updated
2026-04-14

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Laser, Muscle Damage, Muscle; Fatigue, Heart

Keywords

Photobiomodulation, Crossfit, Muscle Damage

Brief summary

Skeletal muscle fatigue is an inevitable phenomenon in the training and competition routine for many crossfit athletes, which can impair their physical performance and predispose them to musculoskeletal injuries. Thus, strategies and/or therapies that minimize fatigue and accelerate muscle recovery are extremely relevant for everyone involved with sport. The aim of the present study is to investigate and compare the effects of photobiomodulation, cryotherapy combined with compression, and massage as isolated therapies for muscle recovery after a protocol of induced muscle damage and fatigue in Crossfit athletes. This is a randomized, double-blind, crossover, sham-controlled clinical trial. Will be recruited 60 male participants, adults, aged between 18 and 40 years, Crossfit practitioners. They will be randomly allocated into 3 groups of 20 participants per therapy, each crossed between effective and sham every 15 days. The primary outcome will be muscle performance in functional test (free squat) and knee extensor torque in maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC). Secondary outcomes will be evaluated by the levels of muscle damage via creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and inflammatory process via blood C-reactive protein (CRP); and delayed onset muscle pain via numerical verbal scale (0-10). All outcomes will be evaluated at baseline, 24h and 48h after induction of muscle damage and fatigue. Data will be analyzed and compared intra and inter groups with a significance level of 5%.

Detailed description

This is a randomized, double-blind, crossover, controlled clinical trial of sham therapy.

Interventions

OTHERPhotobiomodulation; Cryotherapy, Massage

Photobiomodulation: the 20 participants will receive active photobiomodulation or sham immediately after the muscle damage and fatigue induction protocol in a randomized and crossover manner, with an interval of 15 days between each evaluation session. Cryotherapy combined with compression: the 20 participants will receive effective cryotherapy (10-12°C for 20 min) combined with high compression, or sham (25°C for 20 min) combined with light compression, on the lower limbs, immediately after the protocol. induction of muscle damage and fatigue. Effective cryotherapy or sham will be applied in a randomized and crossover manner, with an interval of 15 days between each evaluation session. Massage: the 20 participants will receive the effective massage or sham immediately after the muscle damage and fatigue induction protocol in a randomized and crossover manner, with an interval of 15 days between each evaluation session.

Sponsors

Universidade Anhanguera
Lead SponsorOTHER
Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos
CollaboratorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
DIAGNOSTIC
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Investigator)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
MALE
Age
18 Years to 40 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Male participants; * Adults; aged between 18 and 40 years; * Body mass index (BMI) between 18 and 30 kg/m2; * Crossfit practitioners of the scale, amateur, RX and elite categories; * Training at least 5 days a week.

Exclusion criteria

* Orthopedic injuries in the lower limbs (2 months) or during the development of the study will be excluded; * Participants with less than 5 training sessions per week; * Participants making regular use of pharmacological agents and/or ergogenic supplements; * Participants who regularly use alcohol and/or tobacco; * Participants with skin lesions (open wounds) on the lower limbs.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Muscle Force Dynamometry48 hoursparticipants will be evaluated regarding the dominant knee extensor torque during maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) in an extensor chair.
Blood markers of muscle damage and inflammatory process48 hoursTo measure the serum levels of CPK and CRP, blood samples will be collected after aseptic cleaning of the ventral side of the dominant arm. All blood collection procedures will be performed by a qualified nurse (who will not know to which group each participant will belong). Collections will be performed using vacuum collection tubes, without anticoagulant (10ml), centrifuged at 4,000g for 5 minutes, and stored at -80°C until analysis. Blood collections will be performed at baseline (before WOD and leg extension exercise), 24h and 48h after. Blood analysis will be performed using infrared spectrophotometry in a clinical analysis laboratory (Matter Diagnósticos, Campo Grande, MS) and by an evaluator who is blinded to the therapies applied.
Delayed onset muscle pain48 hoursThe subjective perception of pain will be through a numerical verbal scale (NVS) graduated in centimeters (from 0 to 10), where 0 corresponds to no pain, and 10 corresponds to the maximum possible pain (HAWKER et al., 2011). Pain will be provoked in participants through CIVM for knee extension of the dominant lower limb, in full extension (0°) and without load (FERRARESI et al., 2016). Volunteers will be asked about the level of pain they will feel immediately before WOD and MVIC in a leg extension, 24h and 48h after.

Countries

Brazil

Contacts

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORFilipe A dos Reis, PhD

Ufscar

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Apr 15, 2026