Has acupuncture therapy effectiveness on physical conditioning in long-distance runner ?

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[Objective] Double blind randomized control trial (RCT) was performed to clarify the effect of acupuncture using press needle on fatigue caused by the training in middle or long-distance runners during a training camp.[Methods] Subjects were middle or long-distance runners belonging to a track-and-field sports club in university, and agreed to participate in the trial.Experiment 1 : Subjects were randomly assigned to two groups, which were real acupuncture group (n=16) and placebo acupuncture group (n=16).Experiment 2 : The comparative trial was performed between real acupuncture group (n=13) and non-treatment group (n=14). Press acupuncture needle (Pyonex, Seirin) or placebo acupuncture were attached with the 10 traditional Chinese acupoints in bilateral lower limbs and the low back skin.Measurements : Physical and biochemical examination such as the level of subjective fatigue, the condition of training, the muscle stiffness, the body flexion in standing position, POMS and creatine kinase were evaluated two times at every morning and evening during the 8th day. The investigation was performed regarding the response to acupuncture and which type of acupuncture they had using questionnaires after the camp.[Results] 1. Subjective fatigue increased associated with progress of the schedule in the camp. The real acupuncture group showed less subjective fatigue than non-treatment group. No significant difference between the real and placebo group was obtained. 2. No significant difference in time course change of the training conditions as well as the body flexion was obtained among the groups. 3. Creatine kinase showed higher value in the seventh day than that of the initial day. 4. The real acupuncture group demonstrated more effective than the placebo group from the results of the investigation after the camp.