Rev-It-Up: examining the psychological effects of percussive therapy intra-resistance exercise

Purpose: New technology has led to the advancement of and availability of personalized percussive therapy before, during, and after exercise. Percussive therapy massagers are said to reduce inflammation and speed up muscle recovery, but are they well tolerated? The purpose of the study was to examine the acute changes in affective states and enjoyment following resistance exercise utilizing percussive therapy relative to a control. Methods: Participants [N = 18, 8 females; age (M ± SD); 20.3 ± 1.5 yrs] completed single-arm biceps curls and single-leg extensions until functional failure (i.e., ≤ 6 reps completed). All participants completed an active (i.e., use of percussion massage) and control (i.e., no percussion massage) session on separate days. All resistance exercise was performed at the participant’s pre-determined ten-repetition maximum. Results: Both conditions reported high levels of enjoyment, with no difference between conditions [p =.69]. Similarly, both conditions resulted in significant pre–post affective state changes: Energy [Cohen’s d = 1.26], Tension [Cohen’s d = 0.75], and State Anxiety [Cohen’s d = 0.60] increased, while Tiredness [Cohen’s d = 0.74] and Calmness [Cohen’s d = 0.95] decreased, with no differences between conditions. Finally, pain was not different between conditions, but did increase slightly from pre- to post-exercise [Cohen’s d = 1.10]. Conclusion: While percussive therapy intra-resistance exercise was well tolerated (i.e., no negative effects), there appears to be no significant psychological benefits relative to a control.