Effect of Spontaneous Non-Therapeutic Light Massage on Heart Rate Variability in Young Adults: A Pilot Study

Objective: To verify the effect of spontaneous, non-therapeutic, light massage on heart rate variability.
Method: Interval RR was collected on seven young adults, in baseline (1 min) and intervention (3 min) conditions, through a validated cardiofrequencimeter (Polar V800). The temporal series were treated on heart rate variability software (gHRV).
Results: During massage, heart rate slowed down, RR mean interval has augmented, SD2 has augmented, SD1/SD2 ratio significantly diminished, and Poincare plots became a more defined comet tail pattern.
Conclusion: Preliminary data suggest that even a spontaneous, non-therapeutic, light massage may afford parasympathetic activation, with potential benefits to heart functioning.