Data

The Murph workout, one of the most challenging CrossFit® workouts, demands endurance and high intensity. This WOD (Workout of the Day) includes a 1-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats, and another 1-mile run, typically performed while wearing a weighted vest. Due to its high physical demands, athletes commonly experience Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), characterized by increased sensitivity, fatigue, and reduced muscle function. To minimize these effects and ensure proper recovery, it is essential to adopt strategies that restore muscle function, reduce pain, and allow athletes to return to training without an elevated risk of injury. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of massage therapy (MAS) or cold-water immersion (CWI) as a recovery intervention for DOMS in athletes following high-intensity physical activity during the CrossFit® Murph workout. Thirty individuals with a minimum of six months of CrossFit® experience, and familiarity with all exercises used in the study, were recruited. Pain assessments were conducted at four time points: before the workout (Pre), immediately after the intervention (Postrec), 24 hours (Post24), and 48 hours (Post48). Pain was measured using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) and the A-DOM questionnaire, along with algometry and thermographic imaging. After completing the WOD, participants were randomly assigned to one of two recovery interventions: MAS or CWI. The MAS intervention consisted of 20 minutes of manual massage therapy, while the CWI intervention involved immersion in ice-cold water at 8°C for 20 minutes. The study results highlight the differential impacts of CWI and MAS on pain management and recovery dynamics following structured exercise. At 48 hours post-intervention, 100% of CWI participants reported no pain, compared to only 12.5% of the MAS group. Additionally, pain intensity during exercise dropped from 3.5 (Pre) to 0 (Post48) in the CWI group, while the MAS group experienced a smaller reduction from 3.6 (Pre) to 2.5 (Post48). These results suggest that CWI is more effective in rapidly reducing pain and soreness, with superior outcomes in pain management during and after physical activities. While our study provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of CWI and MAS for post-exercise recovery, limitations such as the non-blinded study design and small sample size may influence the generalizability of the findings.墨菲训练（Murph workout）是最具挑战性的CrossFit®训练项目之一，对运动员的耐力与高强度运动能力有着严苛要求。该每日训练课（Workout of the Day，简称WOD）包含1英里跑步、100次引体向上、200次俯卧撑、300次徒手深蹲，以及另一组1英里跑步，通常需穿戴负重背心完成。由于该训练的生理负荷极高，运动员通常会出现延迟性肌肉酸痛（Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness，DOMS），症状表现为痛觉敏感性提升、肌肉疲劳与肌肉功能下降。为缓解此类不适并保障合理恢复，需采用能够恢复肌肉功能、减轻疼痛，并让运动员能够在不增加受伤风险的前提下回归训练的干预策略。因此，本研究旨在探究针对CrossFit®墨菲训练后高强度运动引发的DOMS，采用按摩疗法（massage therapy，简称MAS）或冷水浸泡疗法（cold-water immersion，简称CWI）作为恢复干预手段的效果。本研究共招募30名受试者，均需具备至少6个月的CrossFit®训练经验，且熟悉研究中涉及的所有训练动作。疼痛评估共设置四个时间节点：训练前（Pre）、干预结束即刻（Postrec）、干预后24小时（Post24）以及干预后48小时（Post48）。疼痛评估采用简明疼痛量表（Brief Pain Inventory，BPI）与A-DOM问卷，并结合压痛测量法与热成像检测技术。完成WOD后，受试者被随机分配至两种恢复干预组之一：MAS组或CWI组。MAS组受试者接受20分钟的人工按摩疗法，CWI组受试者则需在8℃的冰冷水池中浸泡20分钟。本研究结果显示，CWI与MAS对结构化训练后的疼痛管理与恢复进程存在差异化影响。干预后48小时，CWI组受试者均报告无疼痛症状，而MAS组仅12.5%的受试者无疼痛主诉。此外，CWI组的运动中疼痛强度从训练前的3.5降至干预后48小时的0，而MAS组仅从训练前的3.6小幅降至2.5。上述结果表明，CWI在快速减轻疼痛与肌肉酸痛方面效果更优，在运动过程中及运动后的疼痛管理上表现更佳。尽管本研究为CWI与MAS用于运动后恢复的有效性提供了宝贵参考，但本研究仍存在非盲法设计与样本量较小等局限性，可能会影响研究结果的外推性。