COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF LACTATE REMOVAL IN SHORT-TERM MASSAGE OF EXTREMITIES, ACTIVE RECOVERY AND A PASSIVE RECOVERY PERIOD AFTER SUPRAMAXIMALEXERCISE SESSIONS

This investigation highlights the comparison of blood lactate removal during the period of recovery in which the subjects were required to s it down as a passive rest period, followed by active recovery at 30% V O(2)max and short term body massage, as the three modes of recovery us ed. Ten male athletes participated in the study. Exercise was performe d on a bicycle ergometer with loads at 150% VO(2)max, each session las ting 1 min, interspaced with 15 sec rest periods, until exhaustion. Bl ood lactate concentration was recorded at recovery periods of 0, 3, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 min, while VO2, VCO2 and heart rate were recorded every 30 sec for 30 min. The highest mean lactate value was found afte r 3 min of recovery irrespective of the type of modality applied. Sign ificantly lower half life of lactate was observed during active recove ry (15.7 +/- 2.5 min) period, while short term massage as a means of r ecovery required 21.8 +/- 3.5 min and did not show any significant dif ference from a passive type of sitting recovery period of 21.5 +/- 2.8 min, Analysis of lactate values indicated no remarkable difference be tween massage and a passive type of sitting recovery period, It was ob served that in shortterm massage recovery, more oxygen was consumed as compared to a passive type of sitting recovery. It is concluded from the study that the short term body massage is ineffective in enhancing the lactate removal and that an active type of recovery is the best m odality for enhancing lactate removal after exercise.