Abstract
This study aimed to investigate whether a single bout of Self-myofascial Release (SMR) has a beneficial effect on peripheral and central Blood Pressure (BP) and different parameters of arterial stiffness. Twenty nine healthy male recreational athletes (26.1 ± 2.9 years, BMI 23.4 ± 1.5 kg/m2) completed an instructed SMR using a foam roller. Peripheral and central BP and different parameters of arterial stiffness were measured noninvasively before SMR and at different time points (t1, t15, t30) during a subsequent 30-min recovery phase. There was a significant decrease in both systolic (t15, −2.36 ± 4.45 mmHg, p = 0.05; t30, −4.01 ± 4.47 mmHg, p = 0.003) and diastolic (t30, −2.45 ± 5.45 mmHg, p = 0.025) peripheral pressure during the recovery phase after SMR. Regarding central BP, only systolic pressure showed a significant decrease (t30, −3.64 ± 5.83 mmHg, p = 0.003). Mean arterial pressure (t15, −1.91 ± 3.36, p = 0.03; t30, −3.05 ± 2.88 mmHg, p < 0.001), augmentation pressure (t30, −1.60 ± 2.40 mmHg, p = 0.009), peripheral resistance (t30, −0.09 ± 0.10 s* mmHg/ml, p < 0.001), and stiffness index β0 (t30, −0.33 ± 0.55, p = 0.021) were significantly reduced after SMR. No significant changes were determined for reflection coefficient, augmentation index, cardiac output, and heart rate, respectively. SMR showed effects on peripheral and central BP and different parameters of arterial stiffness in healthy young adults.
Highlights
Recent studies have shown that apart from aerobic exercise, other interventions like massage therapy and stretching exercises may induce positive effects on wellbeing but on cardiovascular health
A systematic review involving subjects with essential hypertension concluded that a combination of massage therapy and antihypertensive medication is more effective than antihypertensive medication alone in lowering Blood Pressure (BP) [2]
Regarding diastolic BP there only was a significant reduction in peripheral pressure (t30, −2.45 ± 5.45 mmHg, p = 0.025) 30 min after the Self-myofascial Release (SMR) (Table 2)
Summary
Recent studies have shown that apart from aerobic exercise, other interventions like massage therapy and stretching exercises may induce positive effects on wellbeing but on cardiovascular health. A meta-analysis from Liao et al [1] found positive effects of massage therapy on systolic and diastolic Blood Pressure (BP) in patients with hypertension or prehypertension. A systematic review involving subjects with essential hypertension concluded that a combination of massage therapy and antihypertensive medication is more effective than antihypertensive medication alone in lowering BP [2]. Studies assessing the effects of regular static stretching suggest that short-term regular stretching induces significant reductions in arterial stiffness and blood pressure [3,4]. Yamato et al [5] showed acute effects of static stretching on arterial stiffness in healthy young adults. It is argued that the mechanical stress applied to the vessels by either stretching exercises or the compression during massage therapy can induce hemodynamic responses [6,7,8,9]
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