Recovery After Fatigue in Young Athletes: Comparison Between TECAR Therapy and Cycle Ergometer"
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In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Tecar therapy (capacitive mode), Active recovery using cycle ergometer.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Muscle Fatigue, Healthy Adult. Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Spain
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
Immediate and Short-term Effects of TECAR Therapy and Cycle Ergometer on Recovery After Fatigue in Young Athletes: a Randomized Controlled Trial
Overview
The goal of this clinical trial is to compare two recovery methods after fatigue in young athletes. It aims to find out if tecar therapy (TECAR) or cycle ergometer exercise can improve recovery after intense physical activity and help athletes return to their normal performance more quickly. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does TECAR or cycle ergometer improve physical performance after fatigue? Do these methods reduce muscle pain and soreness after fatigue? Researchers will compare TECAR with active recovery using a cycle ergometer to see which method is more effective. Participants will: Perform a series of jumps to induce fatigue Be randomly assigned to one of the recovery methods Complete physical tests before and after fatigue Undergo simple measurements of muscle condition and pain Report their level of effort and muscle soreness
Detailed description
This study is a randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of two recovery strategies following exercise-induced fatigue in young athletes: tecar therapy (TECAR) and active recovery (usual care) using a cycle ergometer.
Exercise-induced fatigue can reduce physical performance and increase muscle soreness, which may negatively affect athletic performance and increase injury risk. This study aims to compare the effects of two commonly used recovery strategies on physical performance, muscle mechanical properties, and perceived recovery.
Participants will be physically active young athletes over 18 years of age, familiar with plyometric or jump-based activities. They will be recruited through convenience sampling. Individuals with recent musculoskeletal injuries or those who have performed intense physical exercise within 24 hours prior to testing will be excluded.
All procedures will be conducted in a controlled environment by trained personnel following a standardized protocol. After providing informed consent, participants will undergo baseline assessments, including physical performance tests, measurements of muscle mechanical properties, and subjective perception of effort and muscle soreness.
A standardized warm-up will be performed prior to testing, consisting of low-intensity aerobic activity for approximately five minutes, aiming to reach a moderate level of perceived exertion.
Participants will then complete a fatigue protocol consisting of repeated drop jumps from a fixed height of approximately 0.6 meters. The protocol will be organized into multiple sets with controlled rest intervals between repetitions and sets in order to induce acute neuromuscular fatigue in a standardized manner.
Immediately after the fatigue protocol, the same assessments will be repeated to evaluate the acute effects of fatigue.
Participants will then be randomly assigned to one of the two recovery interventions:
TECAR: application of capacitive and resistive electric transfer using radiofrequency energy for 20 minutes
Active recovery (usual care): continuous cycling on a cycle ergometer at low-to-moderate intensity for 20 minutes, reflecting standard recovery practices commonly used in athletic settings
Following the assigned recovery intervention, all assessments will be repeated to evaluate recovery effects.
In addition, subjective measures of muscle soreness and perceived effort will be collected at 12 and 24 hours after the intervention to assess short-term recovery.
Outcome measures will include objective indicators of physical performance and muscle mechanical properties, assessed using a handheld myotonometer, as well as pressure pain threshold (a measure of sensitivity to pressure), and subjective measures related to perceived effort and muscle soreness.
Statistical analysis will include descriptive statistics and inferential analysis to compare differences between groups and over time. A two-way analysis of variance (group × time) will be used to evaluate the effects of the recovery intervention and measurement time points, including potential interaction effects. Statistical significance will be set at p \< 0.05.
This study aims to provide evidence on the comparative effectiveness of TECAR and active recovery strategies, contributing to the optimization of recovery protocols in athletic populations.
Interventions
- Device Tecar therapy (capacitive mode)
TECAR is applied using capacitive radiofrequency energy for 20 minutes following a standardized fatigue protocol. The intervention is delivered using capacitive mode only, combining manual mobile application and fixed automatic application over the quadriceps region to promote recovery after exercise-induced fatigue. - Behavioral Active recovery using cycle ergometer
Active recovery consists of continuous cycling on a cycle ergometer for 20 minutes at low intensity, not exceeding 2-3 on a 0-10 rating of perceived exertion scale. This intervention is performed after a standardized fatigue protocol and reflects common recovery practices in athletic settings.
Primary outcome measures
- Countermovement jump height [Time frame: Baseline (after warm-up), immediately after fatigue protocol, and immediately after intervention (20 minutes).]
Secondary outcome measures (4)
- Muscle mechanical properties [Time frame: Baseline (after warm-up), immediately after fatigue protocol, and immediately after intervention (20 minutes).]
- Pressure pain threshold [Time frame: Baseline (after warm-up), immediately after fatigue protocol, and immediately after intervention (20 minutes).]
- Rating of perceived exertion [Time frame: Baseline (after warm-up), immediately after fatigue protocol, immediately after intervention (20 minutes), 12 hours, and 24 hours.]
- Delayed-onset muscle soreness. [Time frame: Baseline (after warm-up), 12 hours, and 24 hours.]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Adults aged 18 years or older
- Engaging in regular physical activity
- Experience with sports involving jumping or plyometric exercises
Exclusion criteria
- Performed intense physical exercise within 24 hours before the study
- Planned to perform intense physical exercise within 24 hours after the study
- Presence of muscle soreness at the beginning of the study
- Musculoskeletal injury in the previous 6 months
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Double blind
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Study locations
Spain · 1 center
- Physiobalance — Córdoba
Publications
- Lettner J, Graventein L, Hakam HT, Ramadanov N, Becker R, Prill R. Assessment of Muscle Stiffness Using the MyotonPro: Effects of Fatigue on Vastus Lateralis and Medialis Muscles. J Pers Med. 2024 Mar 12;14(3):301. doi: 10.3390/jpm14030301. PMID 38541043
- Nakamura M, Sato S, Kiyono R, Yahata K, Yoshida R, Kasahara K, Konrad A. The Effect of Capacitive and Resistive Electric Transfer Intervention on Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness Induced by Eccentric Exercise. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 May 8;19(9):5723. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19095723. PMID 35565117
- Dupuy O, Douzi W, Theurot D, Bosquet L, Dugue B. An Evidence-Based Approach for Choosing Post-exercise Recovery Techniques to Reduce Markers of Muscle Damage, Soreness, Fatigue, and Inflammation: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis. Front Physiol. 2018 Apr 26;9:403. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00403. eCollection 2018. PMID 29755363
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07547566 · MGC24