Authors

No

Intervention group

Control/sham group

Outcome Measures

Results

Khojastefar, et al. [21]

20 male elite soccer players

Crossover design

Received MA on fifteen points related to anxiety. Ear points: Tranquilizer and Shenmen and body points: EX-HN1, Gov-20, PC-6, HT-7, UB-62.

Treatment time = 30 minutes

Assessed 30 minutes following intervention

Received MA on fifteen points unrelated to anxiety.

Treatment time = 30 minutes

Measure of resting heart rate, galvanic skin conduction and Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 questionnaire

SD on the cognitive anxiety level (p = 0.02) but not on somatic anxiety level and sport self-confidence

Shayestehfar,      et al. [24]

45 male elite soccer players

Received MA on ear points: Tranquilizer and Shenmen

Treatment time = 30 minutes

Assessed 30 minutes following intervention

SA group received needling to same points and the MA group using sham needles

Treatment time = 30 minutes.

Control group received no treatment and rested for 30 minutes.

Measure of resting heart rate, galvanic skin conduction and Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 questionnaire

MA significantly reduced cognitive anxiety (p = 0.001) and somatic anxiety (p < 0.001) but did not change self-confidence (p > 0.05).

Furthermore, MA significantly decreased the skin conductance compared to SA group (p = 0.006) and wait-list control group (p < 0.001).

Zarei, et al. [23]

30 male soccer players

Received MA on ear points: Tranquilizer and Shenmen

Treatment time = 30 minutes

Assessed 30 minutes following intervention

SA group received needling to same points and the MA group using sham needles

Treatment time = 30 minutes.

Measure of resting heart rate, galvanic skin conduction and Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 questionnaire

MA had a significant effect on cognitive anxiety (p = 0.001) and somatic anxiety (p < 0.001) but not self- confidence (p > 0.05). MA significantly decreased the skin conductance in acupuncture group compared to sham group (p = 0.006) (p < 0.001).

Shu, et al. [22]

103 male

and

female

sprint

athletes

All subjects were needled at

point 1 at both wrists 3 hours

before track session.

Treatment time = 30 minutes

Assessed 30 minutes following intervention

Sham acupuncture

(blunt needle) was

performed on point 1 at

the wrists 3 h before the

track event sessions.

The needle was retained for 30 min.

The competitive state

anxiety scale was

used as the primary

outcome measure.

Expectation and treatment credibility scale and participants’ feeling of acupuncture questionnaire for secondary outcome measures.

A significant difference was observed

in somatic state anxiety and cognitive

state anxiety in the WAA group from

pre- to post treatment (p < 0.001, p =

0.001). No significant change in the score of self-confidence state was found in both the groups. Cognitive state anxiety improved significantly in the post treatment WAA group compared with the sham group.

Akimoto, et al. [20]

21 elite female soccer players

Received EA 2Hz to LI-4, ST- 36, ST-6 for 20 minutes and

Lu-6 for 15 minutes 4 hours after the game each night of the competition period (3 days).

Assessed on each day of the competition and 3 days post competition.

Control group received no treatment

Salivary secretory immunoglobulin A level, cortisol level in saliva, subjective rating of physical well- being, and profile of mood states (POMS)

Salivary concentration of cortisol was significantly lower in acupuncture group than in the control group at days 2 and 3 (p < 0.05). fatigue” did not change throughout the study in the acupuncture group, whereas it was heavier during the period of competition in the control group.

Mental fatigue and confusion (p < 0.05) remained low during the competition for the EA group compared to control.