Effect of sports massage on recovery and post-fatigue physical performance in athletes: comparative study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64197/Kronos.1.25.1029Keywords:
massage, sports massage, physical performanceAbstract
Objective: To determine the impact of sports massage in three intervention groups on physical performance variables. Method: quantitative, experimental study with the participation of 35 athletes who were randomly linked to three intervention groups: massage, active recovery, and control, after having been evaluated both pre and post intervention. As part of the tests, the following were considered: pain, subjective perception of effort, jump test and maximum resistance test in squat. To compare the means obtained in the pre-test and post-test assessments, the student’s t-test for related samples was applied. Results: the analysis revealed significant differences in the massage group for pain and perceived exertion (p<0,001). In contrast, the active recovery group showed significant differences in pain, perceived exertion (p<0,001), and physical performance outcomes (p= 0,001). Conclusions: massage demonstrated a significant effect on pain reduction and perceived exertion; however, no significant improvements in physical performance were observed.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Isabel Adriana Sánchez Rojas, Harol Pachón, Carlos Iván Patiño, Yenny Paola Argüello Gutiérrez

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