NEW STUDY SHOWS VALUE OF CHIROPRACTIC CARE IN ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE

​By Tanja Glucina, NZCC CCR Operations Manager
​
​Media Release: 18th October 2016
​Looking back, the 2016 Rio Olympics was an incredible games for New Zealand. With four gold medals, nine silver and five bronze medals, New Zealand is always enormously proud of our sportsmen and women.
 
In the past, Valerie Adams has thanked her chiropractor as part of her winning team. However, it’s not only Olympians who strive for excellence in athletic performance. Our patients want the best out of their bodies too. A recently published study from the Centre for Chiropractic Research at the New Zealand College of Chiropractic has shown that chiropractic care improves muscle strength and cortical drive, and prevents athletes from
fatiguing (1). 

​To follow on from this, the research team at the College is working on a similar study with a group of Danish, German, and Australian researchers, which is investigating the effects of chiropractic care on strength and fatigue in a group of elite Tae Kwon Do athletes.
 
In this randomised controlled trial the athletes’ brain waves and muscle strength are being measured before and after a single session of chiropractic care or a passive movement control. Outcomes are being assessed pre-intervention and at three post intervention time periods: immediately post, post 30 minutes, and post 60 minutes.
 
The preliminary analysis of this study looks really positive! It appears that in this group of athletes, chiropractic care increases strength and cortical drive, and reduces fatigue (2). The strength findings look like they last for 30 minutes and the cortical drive increase persists for at least 60 minutes. This suggests that chiropractic care really may play a role in enhancing athletic performance. These results highlight what Val Adams and other champions have known for years – chiropractic may help with increasing muscle strength and reducing fatigue. This growing body of research is supporting what we see in our practices every day: chiropractic care enhances human performance!

References

1. Niazi IK, Turker KS, Flavel S, et al. Changes in H-reflex and V-waves following spinal manipulation. Exp Brain Res 2015.
   
2. Holt K, Niazi IK, Christiansen TL, et al. ‘The effects of a single session of spinal manipulation on strength and cortical drive in athletes.’ Presented at the International MotoNeuron Society Meeting: Istanbul, Turkey June 2016.