AthletesNCT03886376
Systematic Massage on Swimming Athletes Performance
A study testing Deep Massage and Superficial Massage in people with Athletes, run by São Paulo State University at 1 site in Brazil.
Trial summary
Swimming is a sport that includes different styles and distances, which can expose the athlete to different stressors that can affect performance and generate conditions such as overtraining. This is due to the lack of integration of systematic recovery periods during training programs. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 12 to 20 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Athletes
- What is being tested?
- Deep Massage and Superficial Massage
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 19 participants
- Where
- 1 siteBrazil
- Study dates
- 25 Mar 2019to 18 May 2019
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 12 to 20 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- regular members of the Prudentina Association of Athletic Sports (APEA)
- between 12 and 20 years old
Who cannot join
- not attending the evaluation session
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Brazil1 site
Sao Paulo State University
Presidente Prudente, São Paulo, 19060-900
About this study
Official title: Effects of Systematic Massage Application on Swimming Athletes Performance: a Randomized, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial
Swimming is a sport that includes different styles and distances, which can expose the athlete to different stressors that can affect performance and generate conditions such as overtraining. This is due to the lack of integration of systematic recovery periods during training programs. A very used recuperative feature in swimming is massage. Recent studies have shown that the application of short duration is sufficient to obtain the desired effects and it is possible that its application systematized over a period of time may have greater effects on performance. The aims of this study were to evaluate the effects of deep and superficial massage on clinical, functional and performance issues; to identify its short-term effects on clinical and functional variables and to investigate the association between training load and the swimmer's perceptions.
Read the detailed description
The study was composed by a convenience sample of 19 male and female athletes aged between 12 and 20 years old who train regularly (six days a week) and are members of the Prudentina Athletic Sports Association (APEA) swimming team. The research project was accepted by the Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Science and Technology of the Paulista State University "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" - FCT / UNESP. A single-blinded crossover randomized controlled trial with 1:1:1 allocation. The sample was submitted to a balanced-block randomization, by sorting on Excel, with a balanced sex, age and competitive level ratio, to three sequences of interventions containing: (i) control, (ii) superficial massage and iii) deep massage. The study was conducted over a period of eight weeks, consisting of five sessions of resistance and swimming training. The option for intervention time point was based on a pilot study that yielded higher training loads on on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays and worse perceptions between both training stimuli (resistance and swimming). At the end of each training week, participants were subjected to a maximum test of 100-m front crawl sprint in a semi-olympic indoor pool (25 meters), then we performed a functional evaluation. Training load was monitored over the entire trial by the Session Rating of Perceived Exertion (sRPE) calculated by the product of the training duration and perception of effort. Effects of single massage on perceptive outcomes were analyzed by generalized estimating equations (GEE) with ordinal distribution and cumulative logit link function, using intervention group, training time-points and day of intervention as predictors in the model. The first category (nothing) was used as reference unless otherwise stated. Effects of repeated massage on proprioception was analyzed by GEE and remaining outcomes were analyzed by Generalized Linear Mixed Model, both with Gamma distribution and cumulative logit link function. Bonferroni adjustments were used for all significant main effect. Pearson's test was used to explore the correlation between training load and performance and interpreted as small (0.00-0.25), fair (0.26-0.50), moderate to good (0.51-0.75) and excellent (>0.75).
- Conditions
- Athletes
- Being tested
- Deep Massage, Superficial Massage
- Keywords
- Athletes, Swimming, Performance, Massage
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Deep MassageOther
The deep massage group received 12 minutes of massage on the legs, arms and the back with three different sliding pressures.
Superficial MassageOther
The superficial massage group received 12 minutes of only one sliding pressure performed on the legs, arms and the back.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Deep Massage | Experimental | The deep massage was performed three times during a training week, after a physical training and before the swimming training Receives: Other: Deep Massage |
| Superficial Massage | Active comparator | The superficial massage was performed three times during a training week, after a physical training and before the swimming training Receives: Other: Superficial Massage |
| Control | No intervention | The control group kept their normal routine of training. Immediately after the physical training the athletes were instructed to wait for 12 minutes (passive recovery) until the beginning of the swim training. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Adjusted Performance
Technical index (FINA points)
Measured: up to 1 week
Performance
Sprint time (s)
Measured: up to 1 week
Secondary outcomes (9)
Inferior limb power
Squat jump test (cm)
Measured: up to 1 week
Superior limb power
Bench press test (m/s)
Measured: up to 1 week
Flexibility
Tested by hip flexion measured by the centimeters reached on the Wells bench
Measured: up to 1 week
Proprioception
Laser-pointer assisted angle reproduction test for 55°, 90° and 125° of shoulder flexion
Measured: up to 1 week
Perceptions
Swimmer's Perception of Effort Questionnaire (SPEQ) composed of 5 perceptions (well-being, heaviness, tiredness, discomfort, pain) rated by a 1-5 likert scale where 1=nothing; 2= a little; 3=moderate; 4=a lot; 5=extremely. For well-being higher values indicate better outcomes while for the remaining perceptions higher values indicate worse outcomes
Measured: up to 1 week
Swimming velocity
Swimming velocity (SV) is derived from the central 10m of the pool and the time to swim this distance (t), calculated by the formula SV=10/t.
Measured: up to 1 week
Stroke frequency
Stroke frequency (SF) is derived from the number os strokes (n) and the time to swim the central 10m of the pool (t), calculated by the formula SF=n/t.
Measured: up to 1 week
Distance per stroke
Distance per stroke (DPS) is derived from the swimming velocity and swimming frequency, calculated by the formula DPS=SV/SF.
Measured: up to 1 week
Stroke index
Stroke index (SI) is derived from the swimming velocity and the distance per stroke, calculate from the formula SI=SV*DPS.
Measured: up to 1 week
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted22 Mar 2019
- Study start25 Mar 2019
- Primary completion18 May 2019
- Study completion18 May 2019
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for AthletesStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Model description
- For the control group, immediately after the resistance training the athletes were instructed to wait for 12 minutes until the beginning of the swimming training. The deep massage group received 12 minutes of massage on the legs, arms and the back with three different sliding pressures. The superficial massage group received superficial massage on the same sites than the intervention group. The three conditions were performed after a resistance training and before a swimming training.
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 19 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- São Paulo State University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Flávia Carvalho, São Paulo State University
- Investigators
- Carlos M Pastre, doctor, Study director, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03886376
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2018/09680-8
- Other IDs
- 2018
- Status last verified
- Feb 2021
- First submitted
- 19 Mar 2019
- Last updated
- 23 Feb 2021
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: The individual participant data will not be shared because they belong to a competitive team and most of the participants have less than 18 years old
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 23 Feb 2021. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effects of Systematic Massage Application on Swimming Athletes Performance: a Randomized, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03886376
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2018/09680-8
- Conditions
- Athletes
- Keywords
- Athletes, Swimming, Performance, Massage
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 19 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- São Paulo State UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
- Study start
- 25 Mar 2019 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 18 May 2019 (actual)
- Study completion
- 18 May 2019 (actual)
- First posted
- 22 Mar 2019 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Swimming is a sport that includes different styles and distances, which can expose the athlete to different stressors that can affect performance and generate conditions such as overtraining. This is due to the lack of integration of systematic recovery periods during training programs. A very used recuperative feature in swimming is massage. Recent studies have shown that the application of short duration is sufficient to obtain the desired effects and it is possible that its application systematized over a period of time may have greater effects on performance. The aims of this study were to evaluate the effects of deep and superficial massage on clinical, functional and performance issues; to identify its short-term effects on clinical and functional variables and to investigate the association between training load and the swimmer's perceptions.
Detailed description
The study was composed by a convenience sample of 19 male and female athletes aged between 12 and 20 years old who train regularly (six days a week) and are members of the Prudentina Athletic Sports Association (APEA) swimming team. The research project was accepted by the Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Science and Technology of the Paulista State University "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" - FCT / UNESP. A single-blinded crossover randomized controlled trial with 1:1:1 allocation. The sample was submitted to a balanced-block randomization, by sorting on Excel, with a balanced sex, age and competitive level ratio, to three sequences of interventions containing: (i) control, (ii) superficial massage and iii) deep massage. The study was conducted over a period of eight weeks, consisting of five sessions of resistance and swimming training. The option for intervention time point was based on a pilot study that yielded higher training loads on on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays and worse perceptions between both training stimuli (resistance and swimming). At the end of each training week, participants were subjected to a maximum test of 100-m front crawl sprint in a semi-olympic indoor pool (25 meters), then we performed a functional evaluation. Training load was monitored over the entire trial by the Session Rating of Perceived Exertion (sRPE) calculated by the product of the training duration and perception of effort. Effects of single massage on perceptive outcomes were analyzed by generalized estimating equations (GEE) with ordinal distribution and cumulative logit link function, using intervention group, training time-points and day of intervention as predictors in the model. The first category (nothing) was used as reference unless otherwise stated. Effects of repeated massage on proprioception was analyzed by GEE and remaining outcomes were analyzed by Generalized Linear Mixed Model, both with Gamma distribution and cumulative logit link function. Bonferroni adjustments were used for all significant main effect. Pearson's test was used to explore the correlation between training load and performance and interpreted as small (0.00-0.25), fair (0.26-0.50), moderate to good (0.51-0.75) and excellent (>0.75).
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 3
- Model description
- For the control group, immediately after the resistance training the athletes were instructed to wait for 12 minutes until the beginning of the swimming training. The deep massage group received 12 minutes of massage on the legs, arms and the back with three different sliding pressures. The superficial massage group received superficial massage on the same sites than the intervention group. The three conditions were performed after a resistance training and before a swimming training.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Deep Massage | Experimental | Other: Deep MassageThe deep massage was performed three times during a training week, after a physical training and before the swimming training |
| Superficial Massage | Active comparator | Other: Superficial MassageThe superficial massage was performed three times during a training week, after a physical training and before the swimming training |
| Control | No intervention | –The control group kept their normal routine of training. Immediately after the physical training the athletes were instructed to wait for 12 minutes (passive recovery) until the beginning of the swim training. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 12 to 20 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- regular members of the Prudentina Association of Athletic Sports (APEA)
- between 12 and 20 years old
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- not attending the evaluation session
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Deep MassageThe deep massage group received 12 minutes of massage on the legs, arms and the back with three different sliding pressures. | Other | Deep Massage |
| Superficial MassageThe superficial massage group received 12 minutes of only one sliding pressure performed on the legs, arms and the back. | Other | Superficial Massage |
Primary outcome
Adjusted Performance
Time frame: up to 1 week
Technical index (FINA points)
Performance
Time frame: up to 1 week
Sprint time (s)
9 secondary outcomes
Inferior limb power
Time frame: up to 1 week
Superior limb power
Time frame: up to 1 week
Flexibility
Time frame: up to 1 week
Proprioception
Time frame: up to 1 week
Perceptions
Time frame: up to 1 week
Swimming velocity
Time frame: up to 1 week
Stroke frequency
Time frame: up to 1 week
Distance per stroke
Time frame: up to 1 week
Stroke index
Time frame: up to 1 week
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 23 Feb 2021.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. The individual participant data will not be shared because they belong to a competitive team and most of the participants have less than 18 years old
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Carlos M Pastre, doctor study director
Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Deep Massage and Superficial Massage in people with Athletes, run by São Paulo State University at 1 site in Brazil.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 23 Feb 2021. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Brazil. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Adjusted Performance (time frame: up to 1 week). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 23 Feb 2021; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 30 Oct 2026.