Effect of acupoint iontophoresis on heart and lung functions in topnotch athletes

Yi YANG; Zhanghua LI; Jinsen HE

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

To eliminate effectively and promptly sports fatigue and prevent excessive fatigue that are associate with the effects of training, improvement of sports results and health of athletes directly.

OBJECTIVE:

To explore the effects of acupoint iontophoresis on eliminating sports fatigue.

DESIGN:

Randomized controlled experiment was designed, in which, the athletes were taken as the objects.

SETTING:

Research and Teaching Room of Sport Medicine of Wuhan In stitute of Physical Education and College of Acupuncture and Massage of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

PARTICIPANTS:

The experiment was performed in Wuhan Institute of Physical Education from June 2002 to June 2003. Totally 32 male athletes were selected as the objects,with similar level in training of kayak in Wuhan Institute of Physical Education. They were randomized into 5groups, named training group, training+ acupoint-dermal electric stimulation (dermal electric group), training + oral herbal administration (Chinese herb group), training + acupoint iontophoresis group (iontophoresis group)and training + Chinese herb + iontophoresis group(Chinese herb + iontophoresis group).There were 4 persons in the training control and 7 persons in the rest groups.

METHODS:

The experiment was performed in the training stage of large sports load in summer. The training methods were same in each group, totally for 8 weeks. ① Training group was taken as the control. ② In dermal electric group,after training,dermal electric stimulation was applied on shanzhong (CV 17), xinshu (BL 15), baihui (GV 20) and mingmen (GV 4).③ In Chinese herb group, after training, self-prepared shenwensan was applied for oral administration as decoction. ④ In iontophoresis group, after training, iontophoresis was used. ⑤ In Chinese herb + iontophoresis group,both self-prepared shenwensan and iontophoresis were applied.Trace observation of heart and lung functions were performed with subjective physical sensation scoring (before, after and on the 4th week of experiment), test of sports results,test of heart and lung functions and radioimmunoassay(RIA) (before and after experiment) in athletes.MAIN OUTCOME

MEASURES:

Subjective physical sensation scoring,test of sports results,test of heart and lung functions and determination of levels of endothelin (ET) and calcitoningene-related peptide (CGRP).

RESULTS:

The athletes in all of groups accomplished the training and tests of every index and the results had all entered final analysis.① Subjective sensation of athletes was all improved obviously and the effect of iontophoresis was improved significantly compared with dermal electric group and Chinese herb group (P ＜ 0.05). ② The results of rowing projects were improved to different extents in each group.The improved amplitude of 12 km training in every treating group was different significantly compared with training group (P ＜ 0.05). The result of 2 km training was improved most significantly in Chinese herb + iontophoresis group (P ＜ 0.05).③ VO2max was increased in Chinese herb group,iontophoresis group and Chinese herb + iontophoresis group to different extents. Maximal respiratory quotient (Rqmax)was in tendency of increasing in every group after experiment, HR-AT was all in tendency of decreasing and it was decreased in large amplitude in Chinese herb + iontophoresis group (P ＜ 0.05). The time of exhaustive sports was prolonged in all of groups,but the effect was the most obvious in iontophoresis group. ④ Endothelin (ET) was in tendency of increasing after experiment in each group, but the increasing amplitude was the largest in training group.The calcitoningene-relatedpeptide (CGRP) was in tendency of increasing in every group, but CGRP was increased with the best result in Chinese herb + iontophoresis group and that was with the least result in training group. The difference was no significant in comparisons among groups and before and after experiment(P ＞ 0.05).It was indicated that the training load of athletes had not reach the fatigue limitation.

CONCLUSION:

Cardiac sports fatigue is relevant to multiple factors.Acupoint iontophoresis can protect myocardium in multiple links and layers, improve cardiac function, reduce HR-AT, increase oxygenic endurance and promote the secretion of nervous peptide ET and CGRP; retard fatigue and promote fatigue elimination so as to delay cardiac sports fatigue.