• Botelho MB
• Barbosa MA
• Junior CS
• Lara JPR
• Moreira A
• Baptista AF

• Affiliation / Clube de Regatas do Flamengo
• Affiliation / Federal University of ABC. Center for Mathematics, Computation and Cognition
• Affiliation / Federal University of Bahia. Medicine and Health Program
• Affiliation / Fluminense Football Club, Rio de Janeiro
• Affiliation / Reference Center in Sports Science - SESI/SP
• Affiliation / University of São Paulo. School of Physical Education and Sport
• Affiliation(G) / Brazil / Bahia / Salvador
• Affiliation(G) / Brazil / Rio de Janeiro / Rio de Janeiro
• Affiliation(G) / Brazil / São Paulo / São Bernardo do Campo
• Affiliation(G) / Brazil / São Paulo / São Paulo
• Athletic Performance
• Musculoskeletal Manipulations
• Open Access Document
• Soccer / Brazil
• Spine
• Sports / Brazil

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of the procedures’ routine, the recruiting rate, the presence of any significant detrimental impact on the players’ training routine, and the sham efficacy in achieving blinding.

Methods: A parallel randomized controlled clinical trial was performed with 20 elite soccer players who were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups: spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) and sham SMT. All players were from the same team, were injury free, and were naive to SMT. Measured outcome tests (30-m sprint run with a 10-m split and change of direction [COD] test) were performed at the same time by all participants immediately before and after interventions. Photocell devices were used for data acquisition.

Results: Twenty participants were analyzed (10 in each group). There were no changes to the sprint (10 m and 30 m) and COD test results immediately after either of the interventions. All participants in both groups (SMT and sham SMT) answered “yes” to a question after the intervention asking if they were treated by SMT. No adverse effects or training routine impairment were reported.

Conclusion: This pilot study protocol showed it was an appropriate design for a confirmatory clinical trial. The study had minimal effect on the team training routine, and the recruitment rate was excellent. The proposed sham SMT strategy was successful in blinding the players. In this sample, SMT did not have any immediate effect on the performance of these elite soccer players, as measured by 10- and 30-m sprint times and COD sprint times.

Author Keywords:  Musculoskeletal Manipulations; Athletic Performance; Sports; Spine

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