Under the Gun: Percussive Massage Therapy and Physical and Perceptual Recovery in Active Adults.

CONTEXT: Handheld 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. OBJECTIVE: To 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. DESIGN: Controlled laboratory study. SETTING: Physiology laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: A 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. RESULTS: No 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. CONCLUSIONS: Massage 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.

Iron monitoring of male and female rugby sevens players over an international season.

BACKGROUND: Given the likely influence that high training loads, contact-induced hemolysis and female-specific requirements have on the incidence of iron deficiency, characterizing the direction and magnitude of fluctuations in iron status over an international season is important for managing player health and physical performance in rugby sevens. METHODS: Australian national male (N.=27) and female (N.=23) rugby sevens players undertook blood tests at pre-season, mid-season, and end-season. Hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), ferritin, transferrin and transferrin saturation were quantified. Female athletes also reported oral contraceptive use and a subset (N.=7) provided 7-day food diaries to quantify iron intake. RESULTS: Male players typically had a three-fold higher ferritin concentration than females. Pre-season ferritin concentrations in male (151±66 µg/L) and female (51±24 µg/L) players declined substantially (~20%) by mid-season but recovered by end-season. Over the season 23% of female players were classified as iron deficient (ferritin <30 µg/L) and prescribed supplementation. The greatest incidence of iron deficiency in female players occurred mid-season (30%). Oral contraception and dietary iron intake had an unclear influence on female players' ferritin concentration, while age was largely positively correlated (r=0.66±~0.33). CONCLUSIONS: Given the relatively low ferritin concentrations evident in female rugby sevens players, and the potential for a further decline midway through a season when physical load may be at its highest, 6-monthly hematological reviews are suggested in combination with dietary management. Annual screening may be beneficial for male players, with further monitoring only when clinically indicated.