ABSTRACT
Objectives
The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of noninvasive auricular vagus nerve stimulation (AVNS) on sports performance.
Methods
The intervention group (n = 30) received a single session of AVNS, while the control group (n = 30) received a single session of sham AVNS. Pre- and post-treatment isometric quadriceps muscle strength, heart rate, lower extremity balance, and grip strength were measured.
Results
It was ascertained that the differences in heart rate (−0.73 pulse/min, p = 0.032) and modified Star Balance Test scores (anterior 2.72 cm, p = 0.000, posterolateral 3.65 cm, p = 0.000 and posteromedial 2.43 cm, p = 0.000) before and after AVNS were significant in subjects in the experimental group. The results of the one-way ANOVA analysis show that the differences obtained in all measurement parameters are not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Considering the partial eta squared (η2) obtained from the measurements, a small descriptive effect in favor of experimental group was obtained for the quadriceps strength (0.016) and anterior balance (0.054) measurements.
Conclusion
This study demonstrates that a single AVNS session compared to sham AVNS shows a modest benefit though not statistically significant improvement in athletic performance. Single-use of AVNS seems not effective in improving athletic performance.
Clinical trial registration
www.clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT05436821.
Declaration of interest
The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.
Reviewer disclosures
A peer reviewer on this manuscript has received funding from the NIH; institutional support for serving as an investigator from Teva, Abbvie, Trillen, and Thermaquil; consultant fees from Salvia, Pfizer, and Cerenovus; and royalties from Cambridge University Press and MedLink. Another peer reviewer on this manuscript is a founder of a medical device company that works in VNS. Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no other relevant financial relationships or otherwise to disclose.
Author contributions
A Çalı and AV Özden were involved in the conception and design of the study. A Çalı, AV Özden and İ Ceylan were involved in the analysis and interpretation of the data, the drafting and critical revision of the manuscript as well as the final approval of the version submitted for publication. All the authors agree to be accountable for all aspects of the presented work.