Effects of mechanical-bed massage on exercise-induced back fatigue in athletes

[Purpose] The study aimed to preliminarily investigate the effects of mechanical-bed massage on exercise-induced back fatigue in athletes. [Subjects and Methods] Twelve male college athletes, randomly allocated to experimental or control groups, were instructed to perform reverse sit-up for 8 sessions until they became fatigued. The experimental group received a 20-min mechanical-bed massage session, while the control group rested on a bed for the same period of time. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) on perceived back muscle fatigue, back muscle endurance, and Heart Rate Variability (HRV) parameters including stress index (SI), HRV index, SDNN, RMSSD, pNN50, LF, HF, and LF/HF were analyzed. [Results] Immediately and 24 hours after the intervention, the VAS significantly differed between the groups. Experimental group’s HF was significantly higher immediately after the intervention than control group. Experimental group’s LF and LF/HF were significantly lower immediately after the intervention than the control group. [Conclusion] Mechanical bed massage may help athletes overcome the subjective feelings of exercise-induced fatigue, modulate the automatic nervous system activity, especially for balancing sympathetic and parasympathetic activities. Therefore, mechanical bed massage may facilitate recovery from muscle and central fatigue after athlete training or competition.