MASSAGE PRE-EVENT

research is skin temperature because it is an easy way to monitor the effects of massage. The friction from the masseur’s hands increases the temperature of the skin, which stimulates capillary blood flow and enhances supply of blood to specific areas. This will therefore reduce the amount of fatigue felt by the athlete. Psychological factors are also significant. The event rider’s state of mind is considerably different before and after each phase of a competition. Levels of stress and anxiety are likely to be high beforehand, and they are thought to increase the rider’s control over the horse, therefore the psychological impact that massage can have on the rider’s mental state will help him or her maintain control over the horse throughout all three phases. Certain massage techniques might

alleviate the psychological “symptoms” of stress and anxiety, primarily by reducing heart rate, which is very important to do in the pre-competition state. Of course, different techniques have different effects on heart rate, which is why the practitioner must be able to adapt his or her techniques to each phase of the competition (2). For example, an increase in heart rate will be required for the completion of the cross country phase, but both the show jumping and dressage phases require a lower heart rate. Professional riders are more capable of regulating their physiological state and therefore become fatigued at a slower rate. It is this aspect that massage aims to work towards promoting.

THE STUDY In this study the effects of a pre-event massage were studied in volunteers. The ten women with an average age of 20 years were all physically capable of completing the test, and none had any recent injury. They all owned their own horses, and rode on a regular basis at a pre-novice level, or above, so they were all familiar with the riding position required in the test. Their mean height was about 162 cm and their mean weight before testing or massage on the first occasion was about 68 kg. In the first test, participants were

asked to adopt a normal cross-country sitting position on a mechanical horse and remain there for 6 minutes. They received no massage beforehand. In the second test, they were given

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a massage before mounting the mechanical horse. The massage lasted for 20 minutes and comprised four effleurage techniques: flat hand, forearm glide, pisiform, and “V”. At various time intervals during both tests, their heart rate and skin temperature were monitored, their lactate levels were analysed from blood sample, and they reported on their perceived exertion.

Important results

The mean differences in their blood lactate levels, heart rate and RPE with and without massage are shown in Figure 1. They show a decrease in heart rate, in blood lactate, and in the rate of perceived exertion after receiving 20 minutes effleurage by all four techniques. All but the RPE were statistically significant.

The most interesting result was

that showing the reduction in the blood level of lactate.. Normal values at rest are 0.5–2.2 mmol/l blood, rising to 20–25 mmol/l in the first 5 minutes of exercise. Graph 1(a) shows that lactate levels in this study were similar to resting levels in the massage group. This was probably brought about by enhanced delivery of oxygen-rich blood to the muscles, which enhances aerobic (rather than anaerobic) processes for obtaining energy through oxidative metabolism (see Box 2). In oxidative (aerobic) metabolism, oxygen is used to break down glucose fuel to produce the high-energy molecule

a)

4.5 4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0

0 b)

150 140 130 120 110 100 90 80

0 c)

13 12 11

10 9 8 7 6 5 4

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Time (min)

Figure 1: (a) Blood lactate levels, (b) heart rate and (c) rate of perceived exertion (RPE) with and without massage (mean differences)

adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and this energy needs to be efficiently transported to the working muscles. The aerobic reaction yields more energy overall than anaerobic respiration. The ATP is used up and needs to be replenished, and this is achieved via the Krebs cycle. The waste product of

BOX 2: AEROBIC AND ANAEROBIC RESPIRATION IN ATHLETES

Aerobic respiration is a process in which energy-rich glucose molecules are broken down to release energy, and this process uses oxygen. The reaction is:

GLUCOSE

Anaerobic respiration is a process by which energy-rich glucose molecules are broken down to release energy, and this process does not use oxygen: The reaction is:

GLUCOSE

When an athlete exercises heavily, respiration turns from aerobic to anaerobic because the blood cannot maintain a sufficient supply of oxygen. Aerobic respiration is better than anaerobic for two reasons:

+ g + + g +

OXYGEN

CARBON DIOXIDE

WATER ENERGY

LACTIC ACID

1. Anaerobic respiration releases less energy than aerobic respiration.

2. Anaerobic respiration produces lactic acid, which builds up in the muscles and causes pain and cramp.

17 ATP 1 2 3 4 5 6 Time (min)

with massage no massage

2 Time (min)

with massage no massage

5

with massage no massage

RPE (Borg scale)

Heart rate (BPM)

Blood lactate (mmol)