The effect of different physical therapy procedures in ultramarathons

Priscila Dos Santos Bunn,Allan Inoue Rodrigues,Elirez Bezerra Da Silva,Bruno De Souza Terra,Viviane Pereira De Souza Amaral,Kevin Alexander Barreto Magno,Márcio Puglia Souza,Daniel De Souza Alves

doi:10.1590/s1980-6574202000010153

Priscila Dos Santos Bunn, Allan Inoue Rodrigues + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s1980-6574202000010153

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Abstract

Abstract Aims: To analyze the effects of physical therapy procedures in reducing acute pain in runners. A second aim was to investigate the impact of weather conditions on the number of physical therapy visits during the Ultramarathon Rio24 h. Methods: This retrospective study was performed at the Physical Education Center Admiral Adalberto Nunes (CEFAN). Medical records were analyzed. The participants were athletes that were attended by the Physical therapy team during three editions of the Ultramarathon Rio24 h. The variation in the Visual Analog Scale score (VAS) before and after each treatment were analyzed. After the evaluation procedure, another professional had decided the best procedure for the assessed athlete: massotherapy, cryotherapy by immersion, or stretching. An ANOVA was performed to assess which procedures produce pain reduction immediately after the procedure. Results: A total of 1,995 care services (228 in women) were performed in 602 athletes (84 women). Analyzing the treatments that used only one modality (n = 512 visits), the final pain decreased significantly over the initial pain for the three treatments. It was verified that massotherapy, cryotherapy, and stretching promote significant intragroup differences, with no intergroup differences. The environmental conditions were not associated with the number of visits. Conclusion: Massotherapy, cryotherapy, and stretching are effective treatments for acute pain reduction during ultramarathons. The weather conditions are not associated with the number of physical therapy visits.

Highlights

Ultramarathon races are any foot race with distances longer than the traditional marathon (42,195 m)
A high volume of training is a strategy used by ultramarathoners to prevent musculoskeletal problems[5], as over 90% of athletes report pain during ultramarathon[6], a high percentage compared to other sports or running events, with a higher rate
The participants of the three editions of Ultramarathon Rio 24 h consisted of 602 athletes (84 women), aged 42.3 ± 12.7 years

Summary

Introduction

Ultramarathon races are any foot race with distances longer than the traditional marathon (42,195 m). It can be performed with a distance or time-specific and take place on trail, track, or road[1,2]. Ultramarathon athletes have a high volume of training[3]. They spend 8.9 ± 4.4 h of running training per week and complete 85.0 ± 35.8 km/week while running at a mean speed of 10.5 ± 1.5 km/h. A high volume of training is a strategy used by ultramarathoners to prevent musculoskeletal problems[5], as over 90% of athletes report pain during ultramarathon[6], a high percentage compared to other sports or running events, with a higher rate. Especially the knee and ankle, is the most reported symptom, especially with those athletes with pre-existing injuries[8,9,10]

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Conclusion