Percussive Massage Therapy and Muscle Architecture

NCT07367243 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 2025-69
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 40
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Percussive massage therapy (PMT) is widely used in therapeutic and athletic settings, but its effects on muscle architecture are not yet fully understood. This study aims to examine the acute effects of PMT applied to the plantar flexor muscles on the muscle architecture of the medial and lateral gastrocnemius muscles in healthy adults aged 18 to 30 years. Participants will be randomly assigned to either a PMT group or a control group. Ultrasonographic assessments will be performed before and after the intervention to evaluate muscle thickness, pennation angle, and fascicle length. The findings of this study may help clarify the acute effects of PMT on muscle structure.

Conditions

Muscle Architecture

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Muscle Architecture

  Changes in gastrocnemius medialis and gastrocnemius lateralis muscle architecture, including muscle thickness, pennation angle, and fascicle length, are assessed using ultrasonography.

  Immediately before and immediately after the intervention

Study Arms (2)

Percussive Massage Therapy (PMT)

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this arm receive percussive massage therapy applied to the plantar flexor muscle groups of both legs. The intervention is administered for 8 minutes under standardized conditions.

Other: Percussive Massage Therapy (PMT)

Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

Participants in this arm do not receive any intervention and rest in a prone position.

Interventions

Percussive Massage Therapy (PMT) OTHER

Percussive massage therapy is applied to the plantar flexor muscle groups of both legs for 8 minutes using standardized procedures.

Percussive Massage Therapy (PMT)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 30 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Aged between 18 and 30 years

You may not qualify if:

• History of any surgical procedure
• Hospitalization for any reason within the last two years
• Hospital admission for treatment purposes within the last six months
• Use of any medication within the last three months
• History of congenital, neurological, orthopedic, rheumatologic, or cardiopulmonary pathology or anomaly
• Presence of any known serious systemic disease
• Current health-related complaints or symptoms
• Body mass index (BMI) of 25 kg/m² or higher

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Karadeniz Technical University: lead
• The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Karadeniz Technical University

Trabzon, 61080, Turkey (Türkiye)

RECRUITING

Central Study Contacts

Murat Emirzeoglu, PhD

CONTACT

+904623774270; muratemirzeoglu@ktu.edu.tr

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 16, 2026
• First Posted: January 26, 2026
• Study Start: November 17, 2025
• Primary Completion: February 10, 2026
• Study Completion: February 10, 2026
• Last Updated: January 26, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-01

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)