Effect of post-exercise cupping therapy on the inflammatory markers in taekwondo athletes

Abstract

Abstract Cupping therapy has been claimed to drain toxins, loosen adhesions, and bring blood flow to skin and muscles. Moreover, cupping therapy is believed to modulate the immune system. We investigated the acute effects of post-exercise cupping on the fatigue, mucosal and blood immune responses of atheletes. Fourteen elite taekwondo athletes were recruited, and randomly allocated to two groups including placebo group (PLA) who lied down and rested for 15 min and the treatment group (CUP) who received cupping treatment for 10 min and rested for 5 min. A rated perceived exertion (RPE) was used to evaluate how hard the athletes felt at the time before training (Pre), after training (Post) and 30 min after cupping treatment (Post30). Furthermore, the concentrations of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a), white blood cells (WBC) and neutrophils, neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet–lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in blood were measured. In addition, the salivary immunoglobulin A (SIgA) and a-amylase activity were also analyzed. The CUP group showed significantly lower RPE than PLA group at Post30. The concentrations of WBC, neutrophil, NLR and PLR were markedly increased after training in both groups, but PLR was significantly decreased at Post30 in CUP group. In addition, the concentration of TNF-a was also decreased significantly at Post30. Furthermore, the activity of a-amylase of CUP group was significantly higher than PLA group at Post30. After high intensity of training, cupping treatment decreased the concentrations of PLR and TNF-a, but increased the salivary a-amylase activity. This study suggested that cupping therapy improved the mucosal immune function and decreased inflammation. Supported by MOST 106-2410-H-028-002 & MOST109-2410-H-028-009-MY3