Muscle release may give wheelchair athletes a speed boost
NCT ID NCT07711015
First seen Jul 17, 2026 · Last updated Jul 17, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether applying myofascial release—a manual therapy that relaxes tight muscles—to the arms can improve sprint speed in wheelchair rugby players with spinal cord injury. Twelve athletes will complete a 20-meter sprint test with and without the therapy on separate days to see if it makes them faster. The goal is to find a simple, non-drug way to enhance performance.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- myofascial release therapy
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, drug-free way to boost sprint performance in wheelchair athletes.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small, early-stage trial with only 12 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The effect on speed may be minimal or absent.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 12 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Aug 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 18 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Men and women * Aged 18 years or older * Cervical spinal cord injury (tetraplegia) * Practice of wheelchair rugby for at leastm12 months * Participating in team training sessions for at least 3 months prior to the study. Exclusion Criteria: * Musculoskeletal pain * Injury that prevents completion of the study protocol. * Wounds, pressure ulcers, or skin lesions at the site of myofascial release application * Recreational athletes * Medical contraindication to manual therapy * Infection, fever, or acute illness at the time of assessment
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Centro Universitário Augusto Motta
Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 21032-060, Brazil
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Can a home workout reawaken muscles after spinal cord injury?
- Can a robotic suit help kids with neurological conditions walk better?
- Can Mountain-Air breathing boost leg strength after spinal injury?
- Can science unlock the secret to a perfect wheelchair wheelie?