Wet-cupping induces anti-inflammatory action in response to vigorous exercise among martial arts athletes: A pilot study

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to investigate potential anti-inflammatory effects of wet-cupping prior to a moderate-to-vigorous exercise test among martial arts athletes. Methods: Twenty-one male karate athletes voluntarily participated in this study and were randomly divided into 3 grou...

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Main Authors: Narges Ekrami, Mehdi Ahmadian, Maryam Nourshahi, Hamed Shakouri G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2021-01-01
Series:Complementary Therapies in Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965229920318781
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spelling doaj-ad145f5b51f04306b97683b0945a3a252021-06-05T06:03:16ZengElsevierComplementary Therapies in Medicine0965-22992021-01-0156102611Wet-cupping induces anti-inflammatory action in response to vigorous exercise among martial arts athletes: A pilot studyNarges Ekrami0Mehdi Ahmadian1Maryam Nourshahi2Hamed Shakouri G.3Faculty of Physical Education &amp; Sport Sciences, University of Shahid Beheshti, Tehran, Iran; Corresponding author.School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaFaculty of Physical Education &amp; Sport Sciences, University of Shahid Beheshti, Tehran, IranSchool of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, IranPurpose: The aim of the present study was to investigate potential anti-inflammatory effects of wet-cupping prior to a moderate-to-vigorous exercise test among martial arts athletes. Methods: Twenty-one male karate athletes voluntarily participated in this study and were randomly divided into 3 groups: vigorous exercise (VE, n = 7), cupping (CT, n = 7) and cupping plus vigorous exercise (VECT, n = 7). Participants in exercise groups performed an exercise test while participants in CT received cupping therapy, and participants in VECT received cupping therapy plus exercise. Inflammatory markers (i.e., interlukin-6, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α, TNF-α) were assessed prior to, immediately, 30 min, and 24 h after cupping therapy, vigorous exercise test, and their combination. Results: IL-6 values were significantly lower immediately after cupping intervention in CT as compared to baseline (P < 0.025). IL-6 significantly increased immediately and 30 min post-exercise in VE in comparison with baseline (P < 0.025). IL-6 was also significantly higher at 24 h post-exercise in CTVE as compared to baseline (P < 0.025). TNF-α values were significantly lower in CT as compared to VE and CTVE at immediately and 30 min post-exercise (P < 0.01). TNF-α significantly decreased immediately and 30 min after cupping intervention in CT as compared to baseline (P < 0.01). Conversely, TNF-α significantly increased immediately after exercise in VE as compared to baseline (P < 0.025). TNF-α also significantly increased at 30 min and 24 h post-exercise in CTVE in comparison with baseline (P < 0.025). Conclusion: Our findings showed that exercise-induced augmentation in inflammatory markers were lower in athletes who received cupping therapy, suggesting such therapy may be an avenue to mitigate the inflammatory response to vigorous exercise among martial arts athletes. A large-scale clinical study is needed to confirm the findings of the present study.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965229920318781Alternative medicineCuppingIncremental exerciseInterlukin-6Tumor necrosis factor-α
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Narges Ekrami
Mehdi Ahmadian
Maryam Nourshahi
Hamed Shakouri G.
spellingShingle Narges Ekrami
Mehdi Ahmadian
Maryam Nourshahi
Hamed Shakouri G.
Wet-cupping induces anti-inflammatory action in response to vigorous exercise among martial arts athletes: A pilot study
Complementary Therapies in Medicine
Alternative medicine
Cupping
Incremental exercise
Interlukin-6
Tumor necrosis factor-α
author_facet Narges Ekrami
Mehdi Ahmadian
Maryam Nourshahi
Hamed Shakouri G.
author_sort Narges Ekrami
title Wet-cupping induces anti-inflammatory action in response to vigorous exercise among martial arts athletes: A pilot study
title_short Wet-cupping induces anti-inflammatory action in response to vigorous exercise among martial arts athletes: A pilot study
title_full Wet-cupping induces anti-inflammatory action in response to vigorous exercise among martial arts athletes: A pilot study
title_fullStr Wet-cupping induces anti-inflammatory action in response to vigorous exercise among martial arts athletes: A pilot study
title_full_unstemmed Wet-cupping induces anti-inflammatory action in response to vigorous exercise among martial arts athletes: A pilot study
title_sort wet-cupping induces anti-inflammatory action in response to vigorous exercise among martial arts athletes: a pilot study
publisher Elsevier
series Complementary Therapies in Medicine
issn 0965-2299
publishDate 2021-01-01
description Purpose: The aim of the present study was to investigate potential anti-inflammatory effects of wet-cupping prior to a moderate-to-vigorous exercise test among martial arts athletes. Methods: Twenty-one male karate athletes voluntarily participated in this study and were randomly divided into 3 groups: vigorous exercise (VE, n = 7), cupping (CT, n = 7) and cupping plus vigorous exercise (VECT, n = 7). Participants in exercise groups performed an exercise test while participants in CT received cupping therapy, and participants in VECT received cupping therapy plus exercise. Inflammatory markers (i.e., interlukin-6, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α, TNF-α) were assessed prior to, immediately, 30 min, and 24 h after cupping therapy, vigorous exercise test, and their combination. Results: IL-6 values were significantly lower immediately after cupping intervention in CT as compared to baseline (P < 0.025). IL-6 significantly increased immediately and 30 min post-exercise in VE in comparison with baseline (P < 0.025). IL-6 was also significantly higher at 24 h post-exercise in CTVE as compared to baseline (P < 0.025). TNF-α values were significantly lower in CT as compared to VE and CTVE at immediately and 30 min post-exercise (P < 0.01). TNF-α significantly decreased immediately and 30 min after cupping intervention in CT as compared to baseline (P < 0.01). Conversely, TNF-α significantly increased immediately after exercise in VE as compared to baseline (P < 0.025). TNF-α also significantly increased at 30 min and 24 h post-exercise in CTVE in comparison with baseline (P < 0.025). Conclusion: Our findings showed that exercise-induced augmentation in inflammatory markers were lower in athletes who received cupping therapy, suggesting such therapy may be an avenue to mitigate the inflammatory response to vigorous exercise among martial arts athletes. A large-scale clinical study is needed to confirm the findings of the present study.
topic Alternative medicine
Cupping
Incremental exercise
Interlukin-6
Tumor necrosis factor-α
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965229920318781
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