Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26744335›Full record

SynthesisSports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)2016

Massage and Performance Recovery: A Meta-Analytical Review.

Wigand Poppendieck, Melissa Wegmann, Alexander Ferrauti, Michael Kellmann, Mark Pfeiffer, Tim Meyer

2 registry-linked trialsAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 62 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
62citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
11.6field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06112899 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2023, after this paper: background citation

The Effects of Swedish Massage and Manual Lymph Drainage After Muscle Fatigue in Healthy Young Men

TypeinterventionalSponsorKutahya Health Sciences UniversityRan2023 to 2024Enrolled16ConditionsMuscle SorenessArmsNordic Hamstring Exercise
NCT07566962 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2021, after this paper: background citation

Effect of Mechanical Massage Cushion on Labor Pain and Comfort: A Randomized Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorTarsus UniversityRan2021 to 2022Enrolled70ConditionsLabor and Delivery, Labor Comfort, Labor Pain, Pregnant WomenArmsmassage
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

62 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 168 citations in OpenAlex.

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2 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Wigand PoppendieckInstitute of Sports and Preventive Medicine, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany. wigand.poppendieck@ibmt.fraunhofer.de.
Melissa WegmannInstitute of Sports and Preventive Medicine, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany.
Alexander FerrautiUnit of Training and Exercise Science, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Michael KellmannUnit of Sport Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Mark PfeifferInstitute of Sports Science, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.
Tim MeyerInstitute of Sports and Preventive Medicine, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany.
Saarland University · DEJohannes Gutenberg University Mainz · DERuhr University Bochum · DEUniversity of Queensland · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPost-exercise massage is one of the most frequently applied interventions to enhance recovery of athletes. However, evidence to support the efficacy of massage for performance recovery is scarce. Moreover, it has not yet been concluded under which conditions massage is effective.

objectiveThe objective of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the available literature on massage for performance recovery.

methodsWe conducted a structured literature search and located 22 randomized controlled trials. These were analysed with respect to performance effects and various characteristics of the study design (type and duration of massage, type of exercise and performance test, duration of recovery period, training status of subjects).

resultsOf the 22 studies, 5 used techniques of automated massage (e.g., vibration), while the other 17 used classic manual massage. A tendency was found for shorter massage (5-12 min) to have larger effects (+6.6%, g = 0.34) than massage lasting more than 12 min (+1.0%, g = 0.06). The effects were larger for short-term recovery of up to 10 min (+7.9%, g = 0.45) than for recovery periods of more than 20 min (+2.4%, g = 0.08). Although after high-intensity mixed exercise, massage yielded medium positive effects (+14.4%, g = 0.61), the effects after strength exercise (+3.9%, g = 0.18) and endurance exercise (+1.3%, g = 0.12) were smaller. Moreover, a tendency was found for untrained subjects to benefit more from massage (+6.5%, g = 0.23) than trained athletes (+2.3%, g = 0.17).

conclusionThe effects of massage on performance recovery are rather small and partly unclear, but can be relevant under appropriate circumstances (short-term recovery after intensive mixed training). However, it remains questionable if the limited effects justify the widespread use of massage as a recovery intervention in competitive athletes.

Indexed as

Athletic PerformanceAthletesExerciseHumansMassageRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicVibration

Identifiers

PMID26744335
OpenAlexW2229926246

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.