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Active, Not Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT06871202

Manual Therapy and Physical-sport Performance

The study aims to observe the influence of manual therapy on physical and sporting performance. Manual therapy and physiotherapy have always been associated with post-exercise or as a means of recovering from injuries. The objective is to see if a physiotherapy intervention based on manual therapy causes changes in physical and sporting performance.

To do this, after a brief warm-up, a series of sports tests will be carried out, where the investigators will measure variables such as strength, range of motion, and autonomic nervous system parameters. Subsequently, a series of techniques will be applied in various anatomical regions, and finally, the sports tests will be repeated, and the results will be compared.

Active, Not Recruiting

This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

Key information

Conditions

Healthy Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal Disorders

Age range

18 year–50 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud

San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 38200, Spain

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Engage in low- or moderate-intensity physical activity.
  • Engage in physical activity on 3 or more days per week.
  • Not have any recent injury in the area of intervention that contraindicates manual intervention.
  • Be willing to collaborate in the study.

Exclusion criteria

  • Those people who had an acute injury or one that would prevent them from carrying out physical activity had any contraindication to the application of manual techniques.
  • Who were not available during the dates of the study and people.
  • Who were undergoing treatment with drugs that could interfere with the tests.

Treatment and study plan

Manual Therapy protocol

Other

The techniques were divided into three main groups: first, those carried out in cervical, thoracic and upper limbs; second, lumbar, pelvic and lower limbs; and finally, only spine. The techniques are carried out by physiotherapists with more than 15 years of healthcare experience and trained in manual therapy with more than 10 years of experience in this field.

Sham Protocol

Other

The placebo protocol places the hands on the same areas as the experimental one and for the same application time but without making a manipulative intervention.

Control-no treatment

Other

Control group without treatment or manual contact

Primary outcomes

  1. Mobility

    Time frame: Baseline; previous the first manual intervention and inmediatly posterior the first manual intervention (first day); 3, 7 and 14 days after the first manual intervention

    Measure joint mobility of the spine and upper and lower limbs through photo and video capture and subsequent evaluation with software. Measurements are also taken with goniometry and an inclinometer (angles and/or degrees).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Strength

    Time frame: Baseline; previous the first manual intervention and inmediatly posterior the first manual intervention (first day); 3, 7 and 14 days after the first manual intervention

    Measure the force (kilograms) of the column, lower and upper limbs through dynamometry capture, horizontal force in a treadmill, viewing the force in the Russian belt and jump test.

  2. Speed

    Time frame: Baseline; previous the first manual intervention and inmediatly posterior the first manual intervention (first day); 3, 7 and 14 days after the first manual intervention

    Measure the speed (metres/second) of the column, lower and upper limbs through jump, encoder, and race tests.

  3. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) as a biomarker of Stress

    Time frame: Baseline; previous the first manual intervention and inmediatly posterior the first manual intervention (first day); 3, 7 and 14 days after the first manual intervention

    These parameters were evaluated before, during, and after the manual protocols were applied. For this purpose, the Elite HRV smartphone application was used, which connects to a Polar transmitter band placed on the person's chest at the level of the xiphoid process of the sternum, which allowed constant monitoring of the subject during each of the interventions.

    • HRV analysis in time domain - SDNN (Standard Deviation of NN intervals): represents overall HRV and total autonomic activity. Units: ms.
    • HRV analysis in time domain - RMSSD (Root Mean Square of Successive Differences): reflects parasympathetic (vagal) activity. Units: ms.
    • HRV analysis in time domain - NN50 / pNN50 (Number or percentage of consecutive NN intervals differing by >50 ms): indicates short-term vagal regulation. Units: %.

  4. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) as a biomarker of Stress

    Time frame: Baseline; previous the first manual intervention and inmediatly posterior the first manual intervention (first day); 3, 7 and 14 days after the first manual intervention

    These parameters were evaluated before, during, and after the manual protocols were applied. For this purpose, the Elite HRV smartphone application was used, which connects to a Polar transmitter band placed on the person's chest at the level of the xiphoid process of the sternum, which allowed constant monitoring of the subject during each of the interventions.

    • HRV analysis in Frequency-Domain - Total Power (0-0.4 Hz): Overall HRV across all frequency bands. Units: ms².
    • HRV analysis in Frequency-Domain - HF (High Frequency, 0.15-0.4 Hz): Reflects parasympathetic activity (vagal tone). Units: ms².
    • HRV analysis in Frequency-Domain - LF (Low Frequency, 0.04-0.15 Hz): Represents sympathetic and parasympathetic activity. Units: ms².
    • HRV analysis in Frequency-Domain LF/HF Ratio: Balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic activity. Units: ms².

  5. Stress Salivary Test

    Time frame: Baseline; previous the first manual intervention and inmediatly posterior the first manual intervention (first day); 3, 7 and 14 days after the first manual intervention

    The Saliva Stress Test is a non-invasive diagnostic test that measures the levels of key stress biomarkers in the body's response. This analysis uses saliva samples collected at different times of the day (or night) to assess the rhythm of these biomarkers and their fluctuation.

    The saliva samples will be analysed for cortisol and IgA concentration using Ipro LFDs on a standard reader. After sample collection and mixing (2 minutes), two drops of saliva/buffer mix from the OFC will be added to the sample window of the cortisol or IgA LFFD.

    • Cortisol measure. Unit: nM.
    • IgA measure. Unit: µg/ml.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of La Laguna

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Influence of Manual Therapy on Physical-sport Performance

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Mar 11, 2025
Registry last updated
Jan 13, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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