The Influence of Osteopathic Treatment on the Performance of Hobby Runners. A Comparative Study using Osteopathic Treatment to Enhance the Performance of Hobby Runners
Item
- Title
- The Influence of Osteopathic Treatment on the Performance of Hobby Runners. A Comparative Study using Osteopathic Treatment to Enhance the Performance of Hobby Runners
- Author(s)
- Haberl Franz-Josef
- Abstract
-
Purpose:
Osteopathic treatment usually aims at enhancing or restoring a state of
health in the patient. This study investigates whether osteopathic treatment can be
used to increase the athletic performance of healthy hobby runners.
Study Design:
retrospective, comparative, statistically evaluated clinical case study
Method:
Two comparative groups with a defined age limit (test group n=17, control
group n=14) followed a constant individual training regimen over a period of two
months. During this period, the test group received three osteopathic treatments at
regular intervals of two weeks. Before each treatment, the personal fitness level was
assessed by means of a PWC 150 ergometer test. One month after the third
treatment, the ergometer test was repeated in order to assess a possible sustained
effect of treatment. The performance of the control group was measured in the same
routine and at similar intervals as that of the test group.
Additionally, a questionnaire was answered by all participants for subjective self
evaluation of fitness levels before each test.
Results:
The results of the two groups are graphically presented for comparison.
Conclusion:
Compared to the control group, the osteopathically treated test group
showed a statistically significant increase in performance capability. The
experimental group was able to increase performance capability by an average of
approximately 4.5%. Measured performance increased by an average of 8% among
female and 5.5% among male test persons compared to the control group. Treatment
showed a sustained effect in three out of five achievement groups, with a further
increase in performance levels between the third and the fourth test. One
achievement group of the control group also increased performance in this period.
Evaluation of questionnaires proved that neither of the two groups was able to
accurately self evaluate their performance capability.
Apart from the low number of participants, the results confirmed that osteopathic
treatment is able to enhance performance capability and improves the sustained
effect of training.
Key words: Osteopathy, running, sports, PWC-150 Test, ergometer, performance
increase.
- presented at
- Wiener Schule für Osteopathie
- Date Accepted
- 2007
- Date Submitted
- 1.3.2007 00:00:00
- Type
- osteo_thesis
- Language
- English
- Number of pages
- 89
- Submitted by:
- 62
- Pub-Identifier
- 12825
- Inst-Identifier
- 781
- Keywords
- Osteopathy,Running,Sports
- Recommended
- 0
- Medium
- Haberl.pdf
- Item sets
- Thesis
- Media
- Haberl.pdf
Haberl Franz-Josef, “The Influence of Osteopathic Treatment on the Performance of Hobby Runners. A Comparative Study using Osteopathic Treatment to Enhance the Performance of Hobby Runners”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed May 5, 2025, https://www.osteopathicresearch.org/s/orw/item/3036