Effect of Myofascial Release on Post-Exercise Recovery in Water Polo Athletes

April 15, 2025 updated by: Luis Gustavo Lizi Jorge

Effect of Release of Trigger Points on Functional Capacity, Biomechanical and Physiological Variables in Recovery After Game Simulation in Water Polo Athletes

Objective: To assess the acute effect of a myofascial release protocol applied to the adductor muscles of the thigh on functional, biomechanical, and physiological variables. Methods: This study is a randomized, double-blind, two-arm crossover clinical trial that will analyze male water polo athletes aged 16 to 25 years recruited from a sports training center in the city of Bauru. Data related to the following parameters will be collected for the physical evaluation: functional performance, through the jump test; biomechanical, through maximum isometric torque of hip adductors, electromyography of the hip and gluteus medius muscles; and physiological, through the analysis of serum markers of muscle damage and inflammation, and heart rate variability. After the initial evaluation, the participants will be randomly divided into two groups: intervention group and sham group. Then, all participants will perform a game simulation. After the game, the participants will receive the intervention designated for each group. For the intervention group, a manual therapy protocol will be applied, based on myofascial release in the thigh region that presents trigger points. For the Sham group, a manual technique, called classic massage, will be applied, with superficial pressure, used to reach only subcutaneous tissues, without acting on muscles and fascia. This protocol will be repeated at four different times, always after the games. After a washout week, the participants will change groups and the data collection protocol will be applied again.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
16

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Brazil
    • São Paulo
      • Bauru, São Paulo, Brazil, 17011-160
        • Universidade do Sagrado Coração

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Male athletes;
  2. Age 16 to 25 years old;
  3. Have at least one year of experience in the sport;
  4. Perform a training load of at least 10 hours per week in the sport;
  5. Participate in at least regional level competitions

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Have no reports of muscle injury in the thigh in the three months prior to the study,
  2. Joint injuries in the hip, such as femoroacetabular impingement or tendinopathies of the tendons of the hip muscles or trochanteric, iliopectineal or ischial bursitis diagnosed by a clinician;
  3. Do not present a drop in -performance for more than four weeks that could characterize the occurrence of non-functional overreaching or signs of overtraining syndrome

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Myofascial Release
Other: Classic Massage
Massagem clássica, com pressão superficial, utilizada para atingir apenas tecidos subcutâneos, sem que haja ação sobre músculos e fáscias
Placebo Comparator: Classic Massage
Other: Myofascial Release
A myofascial release protocol, applied to the thigh muscles in post-effort recovery in water polo athletes.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Maximum Vertical Jump Test
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 2 weeks
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 2 weeks
Maximum Voluntary Isometric Torque of the Hip Adductors
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 2 weeks
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 2 weeks
Electromyography of Adductors, Gluteus Medius and Transversus Abdominis
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 2 weeks
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 2 weeks
Collection of Serum Markers
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 2 weeks
The markers: creatine kinase (CK; Units of Measure= U/L), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH; Units of Measure= UI/L), myoglobin (Myo; Units of Measure= ng/mL), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR; Units of Measure= mm/h), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFA; Units of Measure= Å) will be considered for analysis of muscle damage markers and will be determined through specific kits and following the manufacturer's instructions.
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 2 weeks
Heart Rate Variability
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 2 weeks
Heart rate variability (HRV) will be collected, at rest, through a non-invasive method used to measure cardiac autonomic control, to assess the autonomic nervous system (ANS), and the RR interval will be recorded by a portable heart rate monitor.
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 2 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Effort Control Variables: Subjective Perception of Exertion and Lactate Threshold
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 2 weeks
To estimate the intensity of the exercise, the method proposed by Foster (1998) will be used, which suggests multiplying the subjective perception of exertion (RPE) of the session by the total duration of the training session (sRPE), with the results expressed in arbitrary units (u.a.). To quantify performance during the game, lactate will be collected at the end of each quarter of the game, through blood collections from the earlobe (25 μL) to analyze the peak lactate concentration ([La-]peak) of the effort.
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 2 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Luis Gustavo Lizi Jorge

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Rebeca Gasparoto Carmezin, Acadêmica em Fisioterapia, Universidade do Sagrado Coração

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 26, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 15, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 18, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 18, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 15, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 6.711.962

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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