Author(s): WELLAUER, V., BENRATH, J., BAEYENS, R., HOHENAUER, E., CLIJSEN, R., Institution: UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES AND ARTS OF SOUTHERN SWITZERLAND (SUPSI), Country: SWITZERLAND, Abstract-ID: 1247

INTRODUCTION:
Adequate muscle perfusion, particularly at the level of muscle microcirculation, is essential for muscle function, recovery, and tissue health. Percussive therapy (PT) is increasingly used to support recovery and injury prevention and has shown consistent benefits for range of motion and perceived recovery. However, despite its widespread use, the underlying physiological mechanisms remain insufficiently understood, and direct evidence for its effects on muscle microcirculation is limited. This observational study aimed to investigate the acute effect of a single PT session on thigh muscle microcirculation (MM) and muscle oxygen saturation (SmO2).
METHODS:
Twenty-two healthy volunteers (24.2 ± 3.0 years) participated in this study and were randomised to receive either two or four minutes of PT application. Following a 15-minute acclimatisation period, baseline values for MM and SmO2 were measured, and ratings of perceived somatosensory sensation (PSS; feeling of tingling or pulsing in the intervention area) were assessed. A standardised PT application using a massage gun was then performed on the ventrolateral thigh. Subsequent measurements were taken at five-minute intervals up to 40 minutes post-application. Statistical analysis was performed using a linear mixed model with age, fat, and intervention duration included as covariates.
RESULTS:
Both investigated objective perfusion parameters showed significant time effects following a single PT application on the thigh. Post-hoc analysis revealed that MM was significantly higher than baseline from 5 to 15 minutes post-application (T1-T3: p < 0.001; mean EMD ± 95% CI: 450 ± 294 AU) and that SmO2 increased from immediately post-application throughout the 40-minute observation period (T0-T8: all p < 0.001; mean EMD ± 95% CI: 9.0 ± 3.0%). Participants’ PSS increased significantly in the first twenty minutes (T0-T4: all p < 0.02), then returned to baseline.
CONCLUSION:
A single PT application enhances local MM and SmO2, along with associated subjective sensations. The findings reinforce previous results in a female population and support the use of PT as a potential tool in warm-up and recovery practices.