Acute effects of different percussive massage frequencies on shoulder proprioceptive recovery and upper-limb performance in male artistic gymnasts: a randomized crossover trial

Purpose This study compared the acute effects of different percussive massage (PM) frequencies on post-fatigue shoulder proprioceptive recovery, perceived fatigue, range of motion (ROM), and upper-limb explosive performance in high-level male artistic gymnasts. Methods Fifteen gymnasts completed three recovery conditions in a randomized crossover design: 10 min of seated rest (CTRL), 30 Hz PM, and 60 Hz PM, with a 1-week washout period between sessions. Upper-limb fatigue was induced using an individualized handstand push-up protocol. Shoulder internal- and external-rotation joint position sense (JPS), shoulder flexion ROM, and ballistic push-up performance were assessed at baseline (P0), after fatigue induction (P1), and after recovery (P2); subjective fatigue was assessed at P1 and P2. Results Both PM conditions produced greater reductions in subjective fatigue than CTRL (both p < 0.001), with a greater reduction following 60 Hz than 30 Hz PM (p = 0.038). At P2, internal- and external-rotation JPS errors were lower after both PM conditions than after CTRL (p ≤ 0.008), and were lower after 30 Hz than 60 Hz PM (p ≤ 0.016). Shoulder flexion ROM increased from P1 to P2 following both PM conditions (p ≤ 0.001), but no significant between-condition differences were observed. No condition-specific effects were found for peak force, peak power, or concentric-phase impulse. Conclusion PM produced outcome- and frequency-dependent recovery responses following upper-limb fatigue. The 60 Hz condition was more effective for reducing perceived fatigue, whereas 30 Hz PM produced greater recovery of shoulder proprioception. Neither frequency provided an additional benefit for upper-limb explosive performance.