A Physiologic Evaluation of the Sports Massage
Boone, Tommy ; Cooper, Rae ; Thompson, Walter R.
Citations
Abstract
This study determines the physiological responses of 10 healthy college-age subjects during submaximal exercise on the treadmill with and without a prior 30-minute sports massage. The Beckman Metabolic Measurement Cart was used to determine the subjects' steady-state responses. Cardiac output was determined by the indirect CO2 Fick method; mixed venous PCO2 was calculated using the equilibrium CO 2 rebreathing method. No significant differences in central (HR, SV, Q) or peripheral (a-v~O2 diff) responses were found between the two submaximal exercise tests. Also, there were no significant differences in lactic acid (LA) and blood pressure responses. The results indicate that massage immediately prior to submaximal exercise at 80% intensity had no effect on the subjects' cardiovascular systems.