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Effects of electrostimulation therapy on recovery from acute team-sport activity
Matthew Finberg1, Rebecca Braham, Carmel Goodman
1School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia.
Purpose:
To assess the efficacy of a 1-off electrostimulation treatment as a recovery modality from acute team-sport exercise, directly comparing the benefits to contrast water therapy.
Methods:
Ten moderately trained male athletes completed a simulated team-game circuit (STGC). At the conclusion of exercise, participants then completed a 30-min recovery modality of either electrostimulation therapy (EST), contrast water therapy (CWT), or a passive resting control condition (CON). Twenty-four hours later, participants were required to complete a modified STGC as a measure of next-day performance. Venous blood samples were collected preexercise and 3 and 24 h postexercise. Blood samples were analyzed for circulating levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP).
Results:
The EST trial resulted in significantly faster sprint times during the 24-h postrecovery than with CON (P < .05), with no significant differences recorded between EST and CWT or between CWT and CON (P > .05). There were no differences in IL-6 or CRP across all trials. Finally, the perception of recovery was significantly greater in the EST trial than in the CWT and CON (P < .05).
Conclusions:
These results suggest that a 1-off treatment with EST may be beneficial to perceptual recovery, which may enhance next-day performance.
