ArticleInternational journal of sports physical therapy2018
IS PRE-PERFORMANCE MASSAGE EFFECTIVE TO IMPROVE MAXIMAL MUSCLE STRENGTH AND FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE? A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW.
Article in International journal of sports physical therapy, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled 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.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.
- Chronic Effects of Foam Rolling on Flexibility and Performance: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Active release techniquesJournal of back and musculoskeletal rehabilitation · 2026Trial
- The Effect of Timing of Sports Massage on 60-m Sprint Performance in Competitive Athletes.International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork · 2025Article
- Impact of warm-up methods on strength-speed for sprinters in athletics: a mini review.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2024Review
- The Training and Development of Elite Sprint Performance: an Integration of Scientific and Best Practice Literature.Sports medicine - open · 2019Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAlthough pre-performance massage is frequently used in sports settings, the evidence regarding its effects on muscle strength and functional performance is equivocal.Purpose: The purpose of this systematic review was to synthesize the findings of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effects of pre-performance massage on strength and functional performance.Study Design: Systematic review with qualitative analysis.
methodsEight electronic databases were searched from inception until June 2017. Methodological quality of included studies were assessed using Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale. Data was synthesized qualitatively.
resultsNine crossover RCTs with varied methodological qualities met inclusion criteria. Six out of nine studies had low quality, while two were of moderate-quality and one was high-quality. Following the descriptive analysis using within-group effect sizes of interventions used in included studies, no evidence was found to support the use of any kind of massage interventions (passive manual massage or self-massage) to enhance maximal strength, sprint or jump performances of young healthy subjects. In fact, there appears to be limited evidence which implies the negative effects of passive manual massage. In particular, longer-duration (> 9 minutes) of massage interventions tended to result in negative effects on lower-limb maximal strength, sprint performance and jump height.
conclusionIn conclusion, the use of longer-duration pre-performance massage cannot be recommended for enhancing young athletes' strength and performance in sprint and vertical jump. More high-quality RCTs are necessary to examine overall effects of pre-performance massage on athletes' performance. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 1a.
Indexed as
Identifiers
30276011PMC6159489W2899174021What OpenQuestion holds
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.