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