Effect of ozone sauna application after massage on exercise-related muscle damage and oxidative stress parameters

Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of massage and post-massage ozone sauna application on Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage (EIMD) and oxidative stress parameters. Materials and methods: 24 male cross country runners with national rankings between the ages of 18-25 were included in the study. Runners were randomly divided into 3 equal groups as control (F, N=8), massage (M, N=8) and massage+ozone sauna (MOS, N=8) groups. An acute exercise protocol consisting of squat, biceps curl, battle rope, leg curl and triceps extension movements was applied to the participants in order to create EIMD. Exercises were performed as 3 sets in a circut training form, with 20 seconds of practice and 20 seconds of rest (1:1) at 80% intensity of 1-RM. While the athletes in the M group received a full body massage immediately after the exercise protocol, the athletes in the MOS group received an ozone sauna application following the whole body massage. No application was applied to the K group other than the exercise protocol. Blood samples were taken from all participants 6 times: before the exercise protocol, after exercise, after massage/ozone sauna, and after 24, 48 and 72 hours. Kruskal Wallis test, repeated measures ANOVA and Friedman tests were used in statistical analyses. Two-way PERMANOVA with Euclidean distance was used as the similarity matrix to examine the differences between groups and the interaction effect. Results: As a result of the research, it was found that the muscle damage markers CK, LDH and AST, and the oxidative stress parameters MDA, TAS, TOS, OSI and SOD values in the MOS group were significantly lower than in the K group. Moreover, MOS application was found to be more effective than M application on CK, AST, TAS, TOS and OSI parameters. Conclusion: As a conclusion, it can be said that MOS application is more effective in reducing muscle damage and oxidative stress parameters in cross-country runners. Keywords: Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage, Massage, Oxidative Stress, Ozone Sauna