Osteopathy Treatment and Cardiovascular Recovery After a Rugby Match

The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT), a form of non-invasive manual treatment, for a faster recovery of cardiovascular parameters after a rugby union match in professional male athletes. To this end, the effects of OMT on resting cardiovascular function and cardiovascular reactivity were evaluated in twenty-three male players 18-20 hours after a match and compared with a corresponding no-match (control) condition. Assessment of resting cardiovascular parameters 18-20 hours after a match revealed the presence of elevated mean arterial pressure and heart rate, and reduced vagally-mediated heart rate variability compared with a no-match condition. OMT provoked a significant reduction in mean arterial pressure and increased vagally-mediated heart rate variability at rest both in the after match and control conditions. Moreover, OMT favoured a larger vagal withdrawal in response to an orthostatic stress compared with a sham treatment. These results suggest that OMT may be implemented as a recovery strategy to restore athletes' cardiovascular homeostasis after a rugby union match.