REF-380 · Konrad et al., 2020 / García-Sillero et al., 2021 · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · Paper · PubMed
Percussive massage: the one verified study shows more bench-press repetitions before a velocity-loss cut-off; the range-of-motion and stiffness claims are unverified
Participants (verified study: García-Sillero et al. 2021, the DOI on file)
n=24 male university students (24.3 ± 1.3 years; 77.5 ± 8.3 kg; 177.0 ± 5.6 cm; 24.7 ± 2.6 kg/m²), randomized to a percussion therapy group (PTG) or a control group (CG)
Protocol
4 sets of bench press at 70% of one-repetition maximum, each set stopped at a 30% velocity-loss threshold, 3 min inter-set recovery; percussion therapy applied during the inter-set rest in PTG
Key Findings
Result: PTG performed more total repetitions than CG (44.6 ± 4.8 vs 39.5 ± 6.8; p = 0.047; ES = 0.867)
No differences in the movement-velocity variables or in fatigue control (p > 0.05)
Authors' conclusion: percussion therapy delays the loss of movement velocity in the bench press
Unverified claims (source not verified — kept only as the base's working summary, no numbers)
Other studies in this composite report that percussive massage acutely increases range of motion without a loss of force, and lowers myotonometry-measured stiffness in the treated muscle, with no impairment of jump or maximal contraction. None of these has been checked against an abstract here, so no magnitude is stated.
Proposed mechanisms (reduced H-reflex amplitude, local warming, fascial shear, fluid movement) are hypotheses from that literature, not tested in the verified study.
Practical Application
The one verified study: 24 male students who received percussive massage between sets did 44.6 vs 39.5 bench-press repetitions before a 30% velocity-loss cut-off (p = 0.047, ES = 0.867) — a small acute advantage in a gym setting. The range-of-motion and stiffness effects this entry describes are unverified and carry no numbers.
Not from this paper; the base's own practice: a short bout of percussive massage per muscle group can sit in a warm-up as a range-of-motion tool in place of static stretching, and between sets or after sessions for local tone; moderate frequency, flat/ball head on the muscle belly, never on bony prominences or tendons.
Not from this paper; the base's own practice: do not use it on acute strains, visible haematoma, or immediately after an eccentric-damage session.
Limitations
Only one of the cited studies is verified, and it measures bench-press repetitions, not ROM or stiffness
Short-term effects only; heterogeneous devices and protocols; small samples per study
Long-term (chronic) adaptation from percussion massage not established
How this entry was checked and changed
Why this level
regraded 2026-09-27 from B+: composite entry whose ROM/stiffness numbers are not traced to a named source; the verified paper is a small RCT on a different outcome
Content correction 2026-09-27
"n≈180 across studies", "5-10 min, 30-50 Hz, amplitudes 10-16 mm", "ROM +5-12%", "stiffness 5-10% reduction", "comparable to 5 min static stretching", "positive post-effect at 5-10 min", "60-120 s pre-session", "2-5 min post-session", "30-40 Hz", "24 h" -> none traced to the DOI on file (García-Sillero 2021 bench press study); removed or relabelled as house practice without numbers.
The verified study's actual finding (44.6 vs 39.5 repetitions, p = 0.047, ES = 0.867, n=24) added; Level B+ -> C+ (composite, numbers untraced); Sport "swimming, sprint" -> strength; Tier 2-3 -> 1-2.