Synergistic Effects of Fascia Knife and TCM on Hamstring Fatigue Recovery in Track Athletes: An Electromyographic Evaluation

Purpose: Sports fatigue is common among track and field athletes. Among them, the recovery of hamstring fatigue is particularly important for athletic performance and injury prevention. However, current rehabilitation methods often have limitations. This study aims to compare the effects of fascia knife therapy, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and their combined intervention on hamstring fatigue recovery, and to establish a multidimensional evaluation system through electromyographic signals. Methods: A total of 20 track and field athletes were recruited for this study using a randomized experimental design. A total of 17 eligible subjects ([Formula: see text]) were ultimately enrolled for statistical analysis, all in the experimental group, further subdivided into fascia knife, TCM, and combined intervention subgroups. The intervention lasted for six weeks, with electromyographic signal data collected immediately after training and 24[Formula: see text]h post-intervention. Results: The combined intervention of fascia knife and TCM worked much better than the single interventions in recovering from hamstring fatigue in track and field athletes. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA indicated significant interaction effects between time and group factors on RMS (p-value of 0.022, which is less than 0.05) and integrated electromyographic value (iEMG) (p-value of 0.043, which is less than 0.05), with a significant main effect of the MF time factor (p-value of 0.019, which is less than 0.05); 24[Formula: see text]h post-intervention, the combined intervention group showed significant differences in RMS (p-value of 0.0014, which is less than 0.01) and iEMG (p-value of 0.0002, which is less than 0.01) compared with the fascia knife group, and the TCM group showed significant differences in iEMG compared with the fascia knife group (p-value of 0.033, which is less than 0.05), indicating a synergistic effect of the combined intervention, which can effectively alleviate hamstring fatigue and enhance athletic ability. Conclusions: The combined intervention of fascia knife and TCM shows significant advantages, followed by the intervention of fascia knife alone, and the effect of TCM alone is relatively weak. It is recommended to prioritize the promotion of combined intervention in the track and field athlete group, which can shorten the recovery period and reduce the risk of sports injuries, ensuring the stable performance of athletes in their competitive form.