Abstract Objective Percussive therapy (PT) is increasingly used for post-exercise recovery, but its effects and dose-related responses after exercise-induced muscle damage remain uncertain. This review evaluated the effects of PT on neuromuscular performance, muscle soreness, and biochemical markers after acute exercise. Methods The study adhered to PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and CNKI for Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) published through November 26, 2025. Risk of bias, methodological quality, and certainty of evidence were assessed using RoB 2, PEDro, and GRADE. Data analysis was performed using Stata-MP 18.0 software. Results Twelve RCTs were included. PT improved countermovement jump recovery compared with control (k = 13, g = 0.78, 95% CI 0.26 to 1.29, p 5 min per muscle group) was associated with larger countermovement jump effects, whereas 2.5–5 min protocols at higher frequency (≥ 50 Hz) were associated with creatine kinase reduction. Longer treatment was also associated with higher delayed onset muscle soreness scores. Conclusion PT may improve explosive performance recovery and reduce early creatine kinase levels, but current evidence does not support clear benefits for maximum strength recovery or soreness relief. Dose-related findings are preliminary and should not be interpreted as prescriptive thresholds.
Zhu et al. (Fri,) studied this question.