The effect of convalescent meridian acupressure after exercise on stress hormones and lactic acid concentration changes

Meridian acupressure has been used as the one way recovering body conditions. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether meridian acupressure is effective on removing cortisol, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and lactic acid in blood following exercise. The subjects were 12 healthy male college students and data were processed using SPSS 12.0 statistical program and the results were calculated by setting the significance level at P< 0.05. First, there was a significant difference between exercise recovery group except for stability group and acupressure recovery group in convalescent cortisol concentration changes after exercise (P= 0.001). And acupressure recovery group showed a significant difference compared with two groups (P= 0.001). Second, exercise recovery group showed nonsignificant difference in convalescent norepinephrine concentration changes but meridian acupressure recovery group showed a significant difference (P= 0.001). There was a significance difference in the groups rather than exercise recovery group and rest recovery group (P= 0.001). Third, exercise recovery group and acupressure recovery group showed a significant difference in convalescent epinephrine concentration changes after exercise (P= 0.001). However, rest recovery group showed nonsignificant difference. In addition, three groups showed nonsignificant difference in the groups. However, it showed in order of acupressure= exercise> rest recovery. Fourth, three groups showed a significant difference in convalescent lactic acid concentration changes after exercise (P = 0.001). And it showed in order of acupressure= exercise> rest recovery after recovery treatment in the groups (P= 0.001).