Effect of Massage on Fatigue and Mood in Female Rowers

The present research aims to investigate the effect of massage on fatigue and mood in female rowers. Pre-test and post-test of quasi-experimental design with a control group was used for the experiment. Participants in the study were 30 female rowers from Tehran province who participated voluntarily. The volunteer sample was randomly assigned into two experimental and control groups (15 people in each group). Pre-test was carried out for both groups. The subjects in the experimental group then participated in 12 massage sessions under the supervision of a massage expert. Meanwhile, both groups also continued their normal rowing exercises. At the end of the intervention, post-test was carried out for both groups. Rating of perceived exertion and fatigue scale (Borg, 1982), mood questionnaire (Vaez Mousavi, 2007), and a researcher-made questionnaire were used to measure variables. Statistical analysis of variance with repeated measurements was used to test the hypotheses. The results suggested that perceived intensity and fatigue were significantly reduced in the massage group compared to the control group (P <0.05). Also, anger (P=0.002), confusion (P=0.02), depression (P=0.028), mood fatigue (P=0.015), and stress (P=0.039) significantly decreased in the massage group compared to the control group. Force increased significantly in the massage group compared to the control group (P=0.008). In general, the results showed that 12 massage sessions could be used to decrease fatigue and improve mood in female rowers.