ArticleJournal of athletic training2024
Under the Gun: Percussive Massage Therapy and Physical and Perceptual Recovery in Active Adults.
Article in Journal of athletic training, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 21 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.
Investigation of the Effects of Fascia Relaxation Techniques Applied to Plantar Flexor Muscles on Proprioception, Balance and Flexibility.
Effects of Massage and Percussion Therapy on Muscle Viscoelastic Properties, DOMS and Vertical Jump Performance Parameters
Effect of Vibration Massager Therapy on Non-Specific Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Who cites it
21 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Effects of percussive therapy dosages on recovery from acute exercise-induced muscle damage: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Chiropractic & manual therapies · 2026Pooled it
- Trial
- Acute Effect of Percussive Massage on Cross-Section Area, Muscle Strength, and Late Muscle Pain of the Quadriceps Muscle Following a Fatigue Protocol in Physically Active Men: Randomized Clinical Trial.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapy · 2026Trial
- Acute Effects of Percussive Massage Intensity on Change-of-Direction Performance, Vertical Jump Kinetics, and Neuromuscular Performance Across Morning and Evening Sessions in Trained Male Football Players.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2026Trial
- The effect of percussion massage therapy on the recovery of delayed onset muscle soreness in physically active young men-a randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in public health · 2025Trial
- Economy benefits of running in advanced footwear technology shoes remain with plantarflexion fatigue.European journal of applied physiology · 2026Article
- An implantable mechano-electro cascade platform synchronizes neuro-muscle repair.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Short-Term Tensiomyography Responses of the Vastus Medialis to Percussive Massage Therapy with Different Frequency-Duration Combinations.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2026Article
- Acute Effects of Percussive Therapy on Thigh Muscle Microcirculation and Oxygenation.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2026Article
- Bilateral malignant glaucoma secondary to head percussive massage: a case report.International journal of ophthalmology · 2026Article
- Recovery for Professional and Elite Amateur Golfers: A Scoping Review of Evidence-Based Methods.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2025Article
- Does Massage Gun or Foam Roller Use During a Warm-Up Improve Performance in Trained Athletes?Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Foam Rolling or Percussive Massage for Muscle Recovery: Insights into Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS).Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2025Article
- Vertebral artery dissection with cerebellar stroke after use of a percussive massage device: illustrative case.Journal of neurosurgery. Case lessons · 2025Article
- Physiological Effects of Local Theragun™ Application: An Observational Study in Healthy Female Participants.International journal of sports physical therapy · 2025Article
- Effect of Local Vibration Therapy on Pain, Joint Position Sense, Kinesiophobia, and Disability in Cervical Disc Herniation: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- The Acute Effects of Cold Water Immersion and Percussive Massage Therapy on Neuromuscular Properties and Muscle Soreness after Exercise in Young Male Soccer Players.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Effects of Percussive Massage Treatments on Symptoms Associated with Eccentric Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage.Journal of sports science & medicine · 2024Article
- Comparison of the effects of cold water immersion and percussive massage on the recovery after exhausting eccentric exercise: A three-armed randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in physiology · 2024Article
- The Kneeling Isometric Plantar Flexor Test: Preliminary Reliability and Feasibility in Professional Youth Football.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
contextHandheld percussive massage devices (ie, massage guns) are a relatively new and under-researched recovery tool. These tools are intended to increase range of motion and reduce muscle soreness by delivering targeted vibration to soft tissues. Empirical knowledge about the potential influence of these devices on perceptual recovery and the recovery of performance characteristics after exercise is scarce.
objectiveTo investigate the effect of a 5-minute massage gun application, using a commercially available device, on physical and perceptual recovery after a strenuous bout of lower body exercise.
designControlled laboratory study.
settingPhysiology laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER
participantsA total of 65 active young adults (age = 21.3 ± 1.4 years; age range = 18-30 years; 34 women: height = 165.8 ± 6.1 cm, mass = 66.0 ± 7.4 kg; 31 men: height = 181.1 ± 6.0 cm, mass = 81.5 ± 11.8 kg). INTERVENTION(S): Participants applied a massage gun on the calf muscles of 1 leg after strenuous exercise (massage gun recovery group) for 5 minutes and used no recovery intervention on the other leg (control group). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Ankle range of motion, calf circumference, isometric strength, calf endurance, and perceived muscle soreness measures were collected at baseline and at various points after lower body exercise.
resultsNo significant group × time interactions were recorded for any of the performance or perceptual measures (P values > .05). Effect sizes were mostly unclear, except for a small increase in perceived muscle soreness in the massage gun recovery group compared with the control group immediately (d = -0.35) and 4 hours (d = -0.48) postrecovery.
conclusionsMassage guns appeared to have little effect on physical measures when applied for 5 minutes immediately after strenuous calf exercise. Given the small increase in muscle soreness up to 4 hours after their use, caution is recommended when using massage guns immediately after strenuous lower body exercise.
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What 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.