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%.

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

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.