Transferência elétrica capacitiva e resistiva (TECAR) no pré-condicionamento e na recuperação pós-exercício em humanos

Abstract

Athletic performance, whether in training or competitions, imposes great physiological demands on the body. Muscle fatigue is directly related to a decrease in physical performance and can be felt by athletes in different sports. Therefore, good recovery from fatigue is important to prevent overtraining and minimize the risk of injuries during sports. A variety of traditional and unconventional therapeutic modalities are suggested to accelerate recovery after exercise, being used in clinical practice as monotherapies or as adjuvants to other treatments. In this scenario, Capacitive and Resisted Electrical Transfer (TECAR) therapy has shown satisfactory results in the loss of skeletal muscle function and pain in athletes. Therefore, the present study aims to provide proof of concept and optimization of the treatment protocol for the use of TECAR in exercise performance and post-exercise recovery. For this, a randomized placebo-controlled and double-blind clinical trial was be carried out, with 50 healthy volunteers, randomly divided into 5 groups (n=10): Control-Sham; Capacitive Mode (MC) pre-exercise; Pre-exercise Resistive Mode (MR); MC post-exercise and MR post-exercise. Volunteers will receive the therapy, lasting 10 minutes, once immediately before or after performing the exercise, according to the allocation group. The following outcomes was be evaluated: muscle strength (MVC), pain (VAS and DOMS), muscle O2 saturation and blood flow (NIRS), perception of muscular effort (CR-100 Perceived Exertion Scale), biochemical analysis (CK) and thermography. Assessments was be carried out before any intervention (baseline), immediately, 1 hour, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours after the exercise protocol. When comparing the group that used the resistive mode before the eccentric exercise protocol with the control group, showed that the resistive pre-exercise group achieved complete muscle strength recovery within 24 hours (p<0.001). Furthermore, its effects were maintained up to 96 hours (p<0.05). Therefore, we can conclude that the best timing and mode of application for using Human TECAR® aimed at exercise preconditioning and post-exercise recovery is before exercise and in resistive mode.