Abstract
PURPOSE: To investigate the interactive influence of self-massage intervention and exercise programs in middle-aged and elderly persons via a randomized controlled trial. METHODS: Thirty-eight healthy male adults aged between 40 and 69 years were randomly and equally assigned to 1 of 3 groups: the exercise and self-massage intervention group (SG, n = 13), exercise training intervention group (TG, n = 13), and control group (CG, n = 12). Members of SG underwent a structured manual self-massage, and their exercise regimen consisted of group-based and home-based training, which included resistance training of upper and lower limbs and abdominal muscles, endurance training, plyometrics, and alertness training for 12 weeks. TG members underwent the same exercise program as the SG members for 12 weeks. The outcome measures were body composition, abdominal girth, blood pressure, 30-second chair-stand test (CS-30), vertical force in sit-to-stand movement from a chair, vertical jump (VJ), shoulder horizontal adduction (SHA, a test of muscle strength), 30-second sit-up test (SU-30), leg muscle power using the bicycle ergometer, center of foot pressure (CoP, a static equilibrium function test), chair sit-and-reach test (CSR), and 2-minute step test. RESULTS: At baseline, all 3 groups were well matched in physical characteristics. After 12 weeks of intervention, the SG showed significantly greater improvements (p < 0.05) in measures of CS-30 (+22%), VJ (+23%), SU-30 (+14%), locus length per unit area (L/A) in CoP (-18%), and CSR (+44%), and the TG also showed significantly greater improvements (p < 0.05) in measures of CS-30 (+11%), VJ (+20%), SHA (+15%) and L/A in CoP (-24%). However, in the CG, no significant changes were observed in any of the measurements. The differences in outcome measures before and after intervention were calculated. The values of CS-30 and VJ were significantly higher in the SG than in the CG (p < 0.05). On the other hand, only VJ values were significantly higher in the TG than in the CG. However, no statistically significant synergistic effects of self-massage intervention and exercise regimens were observed. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the effect of exercises is enhanced by concurrent self-massage intervention. Supported by the 26th (2009) research aid of Meiji Yasuda Life Foundation.
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