Vibrational Percussion Massage Improves Rectus Femoris Mechanical Properties and Sports Performance in Physically Active Adults

NCT07580313 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: VPM_Fatigue
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 26
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if vibrational percussion massage (VPM) improves rectus femoris mechanical properties and sports performance after muscle fatigue in physically active adults. It will also examine the immediate effects of VPM on muscle function and recovery. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Does VPM improve the mechanical properties of the rectus femoris muscle after fatigue?
• Does VPM improve knee extensor strength and triple-hop performance after fatigue? Researchers will compare measurements obtained before fatigue, after fatigue, and after a VPM intervention to evaluate the effects of VPM on muscle recovery and sports performance. Participants will:
• Perform a fatigue protocol targeting the lower extremity muscles.
• Receive a 5-minute VPM intervention after the fatigue protocol.
• Complete assessments of rectus femoris mechanical properties using a myotonemeter.
• Perform maximal isometric knee extensor strength and triple-hop distance tests at three time points: before fatigue, after fatigue, and after VPM intervention.

Conditions

MyotonPRO; Sport Performance; Fatigue Recovery; Muscle

Keywords

Fatigue; Sprots performance; Muscle mechanical properties; Myotonometry; Vibrational percussion massage

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (5)

• Muscle tension of the rectus femoris measured by myotonometry (Hz)

  Muscle tension represents the resting tone of the rectus femoris muscle, quantified by oscillation frequency. Higher values indicate greater resting muscle tension.

  Assessed at baseline, immediately after the fatigue protocol, and immediately after the 5-minute vibrational percussion massage intervention.

• Muscle stiffness of the rectus femoris measured by myotonometry (N/m)

  Dynamic stiffness represents the resistance of the rectus femoris muscle to external deformation, with higher values indicating greater muscle stiffness and lower tissue compliance.

  Assessed at baseline, immediately after the fatigue protocol, and immediately after the 5-minute vibrational percussion massage intervention.

• Muscle elasticity of the rectus femoris measured by myotonometry (logarithmic decrement)

  Muscle elasticity represents the ability of the rectus femoris muscle to restore its original shape after deformation. Lower values indicate better elasticity and lower energy dissipation.

  Assessed at baseline, immediately after the fatigue protocol, and immediately after the 5-minute vibrational percussion massage intervention.

• Mechanical stress relaxation time of the rectus femoris measured by myotonometry (ms)

  Mechanical stress relaxation time represents the time required for the rectus femoris muscle to recover from deformation after an external mechanical impulse. Longer values indicate more compliant (softer) tissue, whereas shorter values indicate increased muscle stiffness.

  Assessed at baseline, immediately after the fatigue protocol, and immediately after the 5-minute vibrational percussion massage intervention.

• Creep of the rectus femoris measured by myotonometry (ratio)

  Creep represents the viscoelastic deformation of the rectus femoris muscle under a constant mechanical load. Higher values indicate greater tissue elongation capacity and viscoelastic deformation, whereas lower values suggest reduced compliance.

  Assessed at baseline, immediately after the fatigue protocol, and immediately after the 5-minute vibrational percussion massage intervention.

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Maximal isometric knee extensor strength measured by handheld dynamometry (N)

  Assessed at baseline, immediately after the fatigue protocol, and immediately after the 5-minute vibrational percussion massage intervention.

• Triple-hop distance test (m)

  Assessed at baseline, immediately after the fatigue protocol, and immediately after the 5-minute vibrational percussion massage intervention.

Study Arms (1)

Physically active adults

EXPERIMENTAL

Device: Vibrational percussion massage

Interventions

Vibrational percussion massage DEVICE

Participants will receive a 5-minute vibrational percussion massage (VPM) intervention applied to the right rectus femoris muscle using a handheld percussion massage device (Hypervolt, Hyperice, California, United States) with a spherical massage head at a fixed frequency of 53 Hz. The intervention will be administered by a trained physical therapist with the device applied perpendicularly to the treatment area. Two treatment locations on the rectus femoris muscle, including the midpoint and lower one-third of the muscle, will each receive 2.5 minutes of non-stroking stimulation. During the intervention, participants will lie in a supine position with both lower extremities fully relaxed and extended.

Physically active adults

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 20 Years - 60 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Healthy indiciduals aged between 20 to 60 years old.

You may not qualify if:

• History of spinal or lower extremity surgery
• Current musculoskeletal pain interfering with daily activities
• Smoking
• Pregnancy
• Presence of cardiopulmonary disorders
• Scoliosis or other musculoskeletal deformities
• Inability to complete the fatigued protocol

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Cheng Kung University: lead

Study Sites (1)

National Cheng Kung University

Tainan, 701, Taiwan

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Fatigue

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• Yi-Ju Tsai, PhD

  National Cheng Kung University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 6, 2026
• First Posted: May 12, 2026
• Study Start: August 12, 2022
• Primary Completion: January 31, 2024
• Study Completion: January 31, 2024
• Last Updated: May 19, 2026

Record last verified: 2022-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TW (1)