Acute Effects of Percussive Therapy

Acute Effects of Percussive Therapy Intensity on Agility, Vertical Jump Kinetics, and Neuromuscular Performance Across Morning and Evening Sessions in Trained Male Football Players

This randomized crossover study investigates the acute effects of different percussive massage intensities on agility, jumping, strength, and power performance in trained male football players. Participants complete three experimental conditions (no massage, low-intensity percussive massage, and moderate-intensity percussive massage) at two different times of day (morning and evening). Performance outcomes are assessed immediately following each intervention to examine dose-response effects and potential interactions with circadian timing.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Health Adult Subjects
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Passive Rest; Device: Percussive Massage Therapy

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 18
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Saudi Arabia
  • Saudi Arabia
    • Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia, 12341
      • Inonu University/ PNU

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male football players aged 18-25 years
• Possession of an active football license
• Minimum of 2 years of systematic football training experience
• Regular participation in football training at least three times per week
• Willingness and ability to attend both morning and evening testing sessions
• Ability to provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of any acute or chronic musculoskeletal injury
• History of neurological disorders
• Any medical condition that could affect neuromuscular performance or limit safe participation
• Current illness, pain, or discomfort during the study period
• Inability to complete all experimental sessions or comply with study procedures

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Other: PASSIVE REST (Control); Participants rested in a seated position for 5 minutes with no massage applied. This condition served as the passive control to account for baseline performance and circadian variation.	Other: Passive Rest; Participants remained seated at rest for 5 minutes with no massage or device application. This condition served as the passive control to account for baseline performance and circadian variation.
Experimental: Low-Intensity Percussive Massage (28 Hz); Participants received low-intensity percussive massage using a handheld massage device at 28 Hz for a total duration of 5 minutes (2.5 minutes per leg), targeting the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteal muscles.	Device: Percussive Massage Therapy; Percussive massage therapy was delivered using a handheld device (Hypervolt 2 Pro) applied bilaterally to the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteal muscles. The total intervention duration was 5 minutes (2.5 minutes per leg). Two intensity levels were used: low intensity at 28 Hz and moderate intensity at 35 Hz. The device was applied using continuous longitudinal strokes at a controlled speed by a trained investigator immediately after a standardized warm-up.
Experimental: Moderate-Intensity Percussive Massage (35 Hz); Participants received moderate-intensity percussive massage using a handheld massage device at 35 Hz for a total duration of 5 minutes (2.5 minutes per leg), targeting the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteal muscles.	Device: Percussive Massage Therapy; Percussive massage therapy was delivered using a handheld device (Hypervolt 2 Pro) applied bilaterally to the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteal muscles. The total intervention duration was 5 minutes (2.5 minutes per leg). Two intensity levels were used: low intensity at 28 Hz and moderate intensity at 35 Hz. The device was applied using continuous longitudinal strokes at a controlled speed by a trained investigator immediately after a standardized warm-up.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Agility Performance	Agility performance assessed using the T-Test T-Test: A cone configuration was set up forming a "T" shape (10 m forward, 5 m to the left, and 5 m to the right). The participants sprinted forward, shuffled laterally to the left and right, and backpedaled to the starting position.	Immediately post-intervention (morning and evening sessions)
Countermovement Jump Height	Vertical jump height (cm) measured using the Countermovement Jump test via the My Jump Lab smartphone application. The highest value from three maximal trials was retained for analysis. Time Frame:	Immediately post-intervention (morning and evening sessions)
Agility	Illinois Agility Test: Participants started from a prone position (chest on the floor), stood up, and sprinted through a slalom course marked by cones over a 10 m × 5 m area. The timing was recorded to the nearest 0.01 s using electronic timing gates (Brower Timing Systems, Draper, UT, USA). The participants performed two trials for each agility test, and the best performance was retained for statistical analysis.	Immediately post-intervention (morning and evening sessions)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Vertical jump performance	Vertical jump performance parameters were assessed using the Countermovement Jump (CMJ) test via the My Jump Lab application (v.4.4.2, developed by Dr. Carlos Balsalobre). This smartphone-based application uses high-speed video analysis to calculate jump variables and has been validated against gold-standard force platforms	Immediately post-intervention (morning and evening sessions)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Monira Aldhahi

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 14, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 25, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): December 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 7, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 14, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): January 21, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 21, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 14, 2026
• Last Verified: January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: football; vibration therapy
• Other Study ID Numbers: PNU-9

Drug and device information, study documents

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