Urroz Paola, Colagiuri Ben, Smith Caroline A, Yeung Alan, Cheema Birinder S
School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia.
School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Darlington, NSW, 2006, Australia.
BMC Complement Altern Med. 2016 Jul 18;16:227. doi: 10.1186/s12906-016-1213-y.
This study aimed to investigate the effect of acupuncture administered immediately following a graded exercise test (GXT) on physiological measures of recovery and determine if instruction (expectancy) affected the responses.
A balanced-placebo 2 × 2 factorial design was used with treatment (real vs placebo acupuncture) and instruction (told real vs told placebo acupuncture) as factors; a no-treatment control group was also included to compare the treatment responses to no treatment. Recreationally active, acupuncture naïve young adults (n = 60) performed a GXT to exhaustion on a cycle ergometer (15 W/min). Heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen consumption, respiratory rate and blood lactate were collected during the test and during 60 min of supine recovery on a plinth. An experienced acupuncturist delivered real or placebo acupuncture within 6 min of completing the GXT (total treatment time = 20 min). Real acupuncture points included Neiguan (PC6), Zusanli (ST36), Lieque (LU7), and Tanzhang (REN17), while placebo acupuncture was delivered using the Park sham needle placed 1-2 cm away from each real acupuncture point. The control group received no intervention.
Linear and quadratic trend analyses over time indicated no significant differences between groups on any dependent variable. However, analysis of specific timepoints (every 10 min of the 60 min recovery) revealed that participants who received some form of treatment had a lower heart rate than participants in the no treatment control group (p = 0.042) at 20 min post-exercise. Further, a significant treatment by instruction interaction effect for heart rate was also found at 50 min (p = 0.042) and 60 min (p = 0.013) post-exercise, indicating that the differences between real and placebo acupuncture were affected by expectancy manipulation. No other significant effects were noted. However, it was interesting to note that participants who believed they were given real acupuncture reported quicker perceived recovery independent of actual treatment (p = 0.006) suggesting that instruction about treatment influenced perceived recovery.
In summary, due to limited evidence, the current study does not support the acute use of acupuncture for exercise recovery. However, importantly, the current study demonstrates that a balanced-placebo design is viable for testing acupuncture and expectancy effects, and this methodology could therefore be implemented in future studies.
ACTRN12612001015831 (Date registered: 20/09/2012).
本研究旨在调查在分级运动试验（GXT）后立即进行针刺对恢复的生理指标的影响，并确定指导（预期）是否会影响反应。
采用平衡安慰剂2×2析因设计，将治疗（真针刺与安慰剂针刺）和指导（告知为真针刺与告知为安慰剂针刺）作为因素；还纳入了一个不治疗对照组，以比较治疗反应与不治疗的情况。有运动习惯、未接受过针刺治疗的年轻成年人（n = 60）在功率自行车上进行GXT直至力竭（15瓦/分钟）。在测试期间以及在平板上仰卧恢复的60分钟内收集心率、血压、耗氧量、呼吸频率和血乳酸。一位经验丰富的针灸师在完成GXT后的6分钟内进行真针刺或安慰剂针刺（总治疗时间 = 20分钟）。真针刺穴位包括内关（PC6）、足三里（ST36）、列缺（LU7）和膻中（REN17），而安慰剂针刺使用的是在每个真针刺穴位旁1 - 2厘米处放置的帕克假针。对照组未接受任何干预。
随时间的线性和二次趋势分析表明，各实验组在任何因变量上均无显著差异。然而，对特定时间点（恢复的60分钟内每10分钟）的分析显示，接受某种形式治疗的参与者在运动后20分钟时的心率低于不治疗对照组的参与者（p = 0.042）。此外，在运动后50分钟（p = 0.042）和60分钟（p = 0.013）时，还发现了治疗与指导交互作用对心率有显著影响，这表明真针刺与安慰剂针刺之间的差异受预期操作的影响。未观察到其他显著影响。然而，有趣的是，那些认为自己接受了真针刺的参与者报告感觉恢复更快，与实际治疗无关（p = 0.006），这表明关于治疗的指导影响了感觉恢复。
总之，由于证据有限，本研究不支持急性使用针刺促进运动恢复。然而，重要的是，本研究表明平衡安慰剂设计对于测试针刺和预期效应是可行的，因此这种方法可在未来研究中应用。
ACTRN12612001015831（注册日期：2012年9月20日）
