LE3 .A278 2023

2023

King, Colin

Acadia University

Bachelor of Kinesiology

Honours

Kinesiology

Kinesiology

Percussion therapy has gained popularity as a non-invasive treatment for muscle soreness, and range of motion. However, there is a lack of consensus on the overall effects of percussion therapy and its impact on athletic performance. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of percussion therapy on a range of variables related to athletic performance. Twenty-two athletic individuals (mean age = 21.27, SD ± 0.88) participated in three treatment sessions: baseline, control, and percussion. During the control and percussion treatments, participants were exposed to a ten-minute treatment to the quadriceps for each leg, several measures were then taken to determine the overall effectiveness. The study assessed the participants' perceived tightness and soreness of muscle groups surrounding the targeted muscle, range of motion, and performance measures (countermovement jump, wall sit, leg extensions, and an agility T-test). The study showed that percussion therapy yielded positive outcomes in various areas. It helped to alleviate perceived tightness, enhance range of motion particularly in knee flexion, and improve certain performance measures, such as isometric contraction and leg extensions. These findings highlight the potential of percussion therapy as a promising treatment option for athletes to improve recovery and enhance performance.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:3978