Table 1: Characteristics of studies.
AuthorsYear |
Study design |
Participants |
Number of treatments |
Acupuncture/pressure intervention |
Control/sham placebo |
Exercise interventi on |
Outcome measures |
Time of Measurements |
Cheung L, et al. [18] |
Cross-over Washout 1 week |
28 healthy males |
1 treatment session before and after exercise |
a. Acu-TENS = post exercise 45 mins at PC-6 b. Acu-TENS = pre- exercise 45 mins at PC-6 |
Sham acupuncture |
Cycling |
RPE and Heart rate |
2 minutes interval post exercise until HR returned to baseline |
Ngai SPC, et al. [26] |
Cross-over Washout 2wks |
11 healthy males |
1 treatment session before exercise |
Acu-TENS to Dingchuan (EX-B1) and Lu-7 2 Hz 200 u 45 minutes |
Placebo Acu- TENS |
Treadmill Running |
Forced ventilatory capacity, Heart rate, RPC |
15, 30, and 45 mins after exercise |
Jones AYM, et al. [28] |
Cross over Washout 1 week |
9 heathy male and 11 healthy females |
1 treatment session before exercise |
Acu-TENS 45 minutes 2 Hz 200 u at PC-6 |
Placebo TENS |
Cycling |
Heart rate, Blood lactate and VO2max |
Immediately after, 15 mins and when HR returned to baseline |
Ma H, et al. [29] |
RCT |
14 male athletes |
1 treatment session after exercise |
Acupuncture 30 minutes ST-36, UB- 40, Ren-4, UB-23 |
Control |
Running 8000 mtrs, 16 × 500 mtr s, 10 mtrs |
Metabolites (lactate) |
Before exercise, immediately after acupuncture and 30 minutes after acupuncture |
Dhillon S, et al. [19] |
Cross-over Washout 1 week |
20 competitive male cyclists |
1 treatment session before exercise |
Electroacupuncture 20 minute ST-36, GB-34, LI- 11, Liv-3, Du-20 |
Sham acupuncture and control |
Cycling |
VAS, RPE, time, Blood lactate |
During exercise at 5 km, 10 km, 15 km and after finishing 20 km |
So RCH, et al. [7] |
Cross-over Washout 1 week |
10 active male and 7 active females |
1 treatment session after exercise |
ST-36, UB-57, GB- 34, SP-6 1-4H 15 mins |
TENS Pseudo- TENS |
Knee extension/f lexion on a Biodex system 3 |
Blood lactate, Peak torque, conductivity velocity, muscle fatigue |
Before and immediately following exercise. Also, at 5 minutes interval. |
Lin Z, et al. [16] |
RCT |
36 male boxing athletes |
1 treatment session before exercise |
Auricular acupuncture to HT, Ki, Lu, Liv, TW, endocrine, adrenal cortex for 30+ minutes |
Magnetic studs, control, placebo studs |
Treadmill |
VO2max |
During and after exercise |
Karvela BR, et al. [24]
|
Cross-over at least 3 days washout |
5 healthy male and 5 healthy women |
1 treatment session before exercise |
Acupuncture for 20 minutes to Du-20, ST-36, PC-6, Liv-3, SP-6, LI-15 |
Sham acupuncture and control |
Cycling |
Heart rate, VO2 and RPE |
During exercise |
Lin Z, et al. [16] |
RTC |
30 elite male athletes |
1 treatment session before exercise |
Acupuncture 15 minutes. PC-6 and ST-36. |
Sham acupuncture and control |
Cycling |
Heart rate, VO2, Blood lactate |
5, 30, and 60 minutes after exercise |
Ehrlich D, et al. [17] |
RCT |
36 healthy males |
5 sessions. 1 per week. |
Acupuncture 20 minutes Du-20, Ren- 15, UB-43, Liv-13, ST-36, PC-6, SP-6. |
Sham acupuncture and control |
Cycling |
Heart rate, VO2, blood pressure, blood lactate |
3 minutes after exercise |
Gentil D, et al. [15] |
RCT |
21 healthy male and female |
10 sessions. 2 treatment per week for 5 weeks |
Acupuncture Ki-3, Du-4, UB-23, 47, Ren-4, UB-13, 14, 37, 38, 39. Treatment time not stated. |
Sham acupuncture and control |
Treadmill |
VO2, Heart rate, anaerobic threshold |
After 45 days |
Urroz P, et al. [20] |
RTC |
38 active male and 22 active females |
1 treatment session after exercise |
20 minutes 1.Acupuncture with high expectancy 2.Acupuncture without expectancy. PC-6, ST-36, Lu-7, Ren-17 |
3.Placebo with high expectancy, 4.Placebo without expectancy, 5.Control |
Cycling |
Hear rate, Blood pressure, V02, Blood lactate, Respiratory rate |
Immediately after exercise |
Lin ZP, et al. [25] |
RCT |
24 elite male basketball players |
1 treatment session before exercise |
Auricular acupuncture 30+ minutes Magnetic strip Both ears Lung, Kidney, Spleen, Triple Warmer, Adrenal Cortex and Endocrine |
Sham strips with no magnets |
Cycling |
Heart rate, Blood lactate, VO2 |
During rest, before exercise, 5, 30, 60 mins after exercise |
Lin S, et al. [30] |
RCT |
24 elite male soccer players |
12 treatment sessions (3 treatment per week) |
Acupuncture 20 minutes ST-36, LI-4, UB-23, Lu-5. Acupressure 2 times per week to points applied by subjects |
Special placebo acupuncture needles |
High intensity football training over 4 weeks |
Heart rate variability |
After 4 weeks intervention |
Shin W, et al. [27] |
Cross-over don’t state washout |
12 healthy males |
1 treatment session don’t state before or after exercise |
Acupressure 30 mins Applied. Not clear what points was used |
Exercise recovery
Rest recovery |
Treadmill/running |
Serum concentration of cortisol, norepinephrine, epinephrin and lactate |
Before and after exercise, after rest |
Tandya L, et al. [32] |
RCT |
36 elite basketball players (don’t mention gender) |
1 treatment session before exercise |
Acupuncture 20 mins ST-36 and PC-6 |
Control |
17 shuttle runs, zigzag runs and skipping. |
Blood lactate |
5- and 25-minutes after exercise |