Photobiomodulation, Cryotherapy Combined With Compression, and Massage for Recovery

Comparison Between Photobiomodulation, Cryotherapy Combined With Compression, and Massage for Muscle Recovery in Crossfit Athletes

Skeletal muscle fatigue is an inevitable phenomenon in the training and competition routine for many crossfit athletes, which can impair their physical performance and predispose them to musculoskeletal injuries. Thus, strategies and/or therapies that minimize fatigue and accelerate muscle recovery are extremely relevant for everyone involved with sport. The aim of the present study is to investigate and compare the effects of photobiomodulation, cryotherapy combined with compression, and massage as isolated therapies for muscle recovery after a protocol of induced muscle damage and fatigue in Crossfit athletes. This is a randomized, double-blind, crossover, sham-controlled clinical trial. Will be recruited 60 male participants, adults, aged between 18 and 40 years, Crossfit practitioners. They will be randomly allocated into 3 groups of 20 participants per therapy, each crossed between effective and sham every 15 days. The primary outcome will be muscle performance in functional test (free squat) and knee extensor torque in maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC). Secondary outcomes will be evaluated by the levels of muscle damage via creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and inflammatory process via blood C-reactive protein (CRP); and delayed onset muscle pain via numerical verbal scale (0-10). All outcomes will be evaluated at baseline, 24h and 48h after induction of muscle damage and fatigue. Data will be analyzed and compared intra and inter groups with a significance level of 5%.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Muscle; Fatigue, Heart; Muscle Damage; Laser
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Photobiomodulation; Cryotherapy, Massage

Detailed Description

This is a randomized, double-blind, crossover, controlled clinical trial of sham therapy.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Brazil
  • Mato Grosso do Sul
    • Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, 79117504
      • Filipe Abdalla

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 14 years to 36 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male participants;
• Adults; aged between 18 and 40 years;
• Body mass index (BMI) between 18 and 30 kg/m2;
• Crossfit practitioners of the scale, amateur, RX and elite categories;
• Training at least 5 days a week.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Orthopedic injuries in the lower limbs (2 months) or during the development of the study will be excluded;
• Participants with less than 5 training sessions per week;
• Participants making regular use of pharmacological agents and/or ergogenic supplements;
• Participants who regularly use alcohol and/or tobacco;
• Participants with skin lesions (open wounds) on the lower limbs.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

6

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Photobiomodulation; 10 participants will receive active photobiomodulation immediately after the muscle damage and fatigue induction protocol in a randomized and crossover manner, with an interval of 15 days between each evaluation session	Other: Photobiomodulation; Cryotherapy, Massage; Photobiomodulation: the 20 participants will receive active photobiomodulation or sham immediately after the muscle damage and fatigue induction protocol in a randomized and crossover manner, with an interval of 15 days between each evaluation session. Cryotherapy combined with compression: the 20 participants will receive effective cryotherapy (10-12°C for 20 min) combined with high compression, or sham (25°C for 20 min) combined with light compression, on the lower limbs, immediately after the protocol. induction of muscle damage and fatigue. Effective cryotherapy or sham will be applied in a randomized and crossover manner, with an interval of 15 days between each evaluation session. Massage: the 20 participants will receive the effective massage or sham immediately after the muscle damage and fatigue induction protocol in a randomized and crossover manner, with an interval of 15 days between each evaluation session.
Sham Comparator: Sham Photobiomodulation; 10 participants will receive sham photobiomodulation immediately after the muscle damage and fatigue induction protocol in a randomized and crossover manner, with an interval of 15 days between each evaluation session	Other: Photobiomodulation; Cryotherapy, Massage; Photobiomodulation: the 20 participants will receive active photobiomodulation or sham immediately after the muscle damage and fatigue induction protocol in a randomized and crossover manner, with an interval of 15 days between each evaluation session. Cryotherapy combined with compression: the 20 participants will receive effective cryotherapy (10-12°C for 20 min) combined with high compression, or sham (25°C for 20 min) combined with light compression, on the lower limbs, immediately after the protocol. induction of muscle damage and fatigue. Effective cryotherapy or sham will be applied in a randomized and crossover manner, with an interval of 15 days between each evaluation session. Massage: the 20 participants will receive the effective massage or sham immediately after the muscle damage and fatigue induction protocol in a randomized and crossover manner, with an interval of 15 days between each evaluation session.
Experimental: Active Cryotherapy; 10 participants will receive effective cryotherapy (10-12°C for 20 min) combined with high compression on the lower limbs, or sham (25°C for 20 min) damage and fatigue induction protocol. muscle.	Other: Photobiomodulation; Cryotherapy, Massage; Photobiomodulation: the 20 participants will receive active photobiomodulation or sham immediately after the muscle damage and fatigue induction protocol in a randomized and crossover manner, with an interval of 15 days between each evaluation session. Cryotherapy combined with compression: the 20 participants will receive effective cryotherapy (10-12°C for 20 min) combined with high compression, or sham (25°C for 20 min) combined with light compression, on the lower limbs, immediately after the protocol. induction of muscle damage and fatigue. Effective cryotherapy or sham will be applied in a randomized and crossover manner, with an interval of 15 days between each evaluation session. Massage: the 20 participants will receive the effective massage or sham immediately after the muscle damage and fatigue induction protocol in a randomized and crossover manner, with an interval of 15 days between each evaluation session.
Sham Comparator: Sham Cryotherapy; 10 participants will receive sham cryotherapy (25°C for 20 min) combined with light compression on the lower limbs immediately after the damage and fatigue induction protocol. muscle.	Other: Photobiomodulation; Cryotherapy, Massage; Photobiomodulation: the 20 participants will receive active photobiomodulation or sham immediately after the muscle damage and fatigue induction protocol in a randomized and crossover manner, with an interval of 15 days between each evaluation session. Cryotherapy combined with compression: the 20 participants will receive effective cryotherapy (10-12°C for 20 min) combined with high compression, or sham (25°C for 20 min) combined with light compression, on the lower limbs, immediately after the protocol. induction of muscle damage and fatigue. Effective cryotherapy or sham will be applied in a randomized and crossover manner, with an interval of 15 days between each evaluation session. Massage: the 20 participants will receive the effective massage or sham immediately after the muscle damage and fatigue induction protocol in a randomized and crossover manner, with an interval of 15 days between each evaluation session.
Experimental: Massage; 10 participants will receive the effective massage immediately after the muscle damage and fatigue induction protocol in a randomized and crossover manner, with an interval of 15 days between each evaluation session.	Other: Photobiomodulation; Cryotherapy, Massage; Photobiomodulation: the 20 participants will receive active photobiomodulation or sham immediately after the muscle damage and fatigue induction protocol in a randomized and crossover manner, with an interval of 15 days between each evaluation session. Cryotherapy combined with compression: the 20 participants will receive effective cryotherapy (10-12°C for 20 min) combined with high compression, or sham (25°C for 20 min) combined with light compression, on the lower limbs, immediately after the protocol. induction of muscle damage and fatigue. Effective cryotherapy or sham will be applied in a randomized and crossover manner, with an interval of 15 days between each evaluation session. Massage: the 20 participants will receive the effective massage or sham immediately after the muscle damage and fatigue induction protocol in a randomized and crossover manner, with an interval of 15 days between each evaluation session.
Sham Comparator: Sham Massage; 10 participants will receive the sham massage immediately after the muscle damage and fatigue induction protocol in a randomized and crossover manner, with an interval of 15 days between each evaluation session.	Other: Photobiomodulation; Cryotherapy, Massage; Photobiomodulation: the 20 participants will receive active photobiomodulation or sham immediately after the muscle damage and fatigue induction protocol in a randomized and crossover manner, with an interval of 15 days between each evaluation session. Cryotherapy combined with compression: the 20 participants will receive effective cryotherapy (10-12°C for 20 min) combined with high compression, or sham (25°C for 20 min) combined with light compression, on the lower limbs, immediately after the protocol. induction of muscle damage and fatigue. Effective cryotherapy or sham will be applied in a randomized and crossover manner, with an interval of 15 days between each evaluation session. Massage: the 20 participants will receive the effective massage or sham immediately after the muscle damage and fatigue induction protocol in a randomized and crossover manner, with an interval of 15 days between each evaluation session.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Muscle Force Dynamometry	participants will be evaluated regarding the dominant knee extensor torque during maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) in an extensor chair.	48 hours
Blood markers of muscle damage and inflammatory process	To measure the serum levels of CPK and CRP, blood samples will be collected after aseptic cleaning of the ventral side of the dominant arm. All blood collection procedures will be performed by a qualified nurse (who will not know to which group each participant will belong). Collections will be performed using vacuum collection tubes, without anticoagulant (10ml), centrifuged at 4,000g for 5 minutes, and stored at -80°C until analysis. Blood collections will be performed at baseline (before WOD and leg extension exercise), 24h and 48h after. Blood analysis will be performed using infrared spectrophotometry in a clinical analysis laboratory (Matter Diagnósticos, Campo Grande, MS) and by an evaluator who is blinded to the therapies applied.	48 hours
Delayed onset muscle pain	The subjective perception of pain will be through a numerical verbal scale (NVS) graduated in centimeters (from 0 to 10), where 0 corresponds to no pain, and 10 corresponds to the maximum possible pain (HAWKER et al., 2011). Pain will be provoked in participants through CIVM for knee extension of the dominant lower limb, in full extension (0°) and without load (FERRARESI et al., 2016). Volunteers will be asked about the level of pain they will feel immediately before WOD and MVIC in a leg extension, 24h and 48h after.	48 hours

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Universidade Anhanguera
• Collaborators: Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Filipe A dos Reis, PhD, Ufscar

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 1, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 1, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): July 1, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 2, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 15, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): November 25, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 14, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 12, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Photobiomodulation; Muscle Damage; Crossfit
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Fatigue; Therapeutics; Complementary Therapies; Physical Therapy Modalities; Rehabilitation; Laser Therapy; Phototherapy; Therapy, Soft Tissue; Musculoskeletal Manipulations; Cryotherapy; Low-Level Light Therapy; Massage
• Other Study ID Numbers: 001 (Buy Pharma Ecza Deposu San. Tic. Ltd.)

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No