Research

Clinical and nutritional osteopathic research

Osteopathy and micro-nutrition for the performance of professional athletes   

Guillaume Caunegre
Osteopath D.O.-M.R.O.F, M.R.O.-Br
Professor and co-founder of the University Diploma of Osteopathy for sport
President and founder of the Osteotherapeutics™ Institute – USA

This study aims to report incidence of change in the performance of high-level athletes, following the implementation of osteopathic therapeutic treatments and addition of nutritional supplementation.

Four (4) athletes were chosen to follow a series of osteopathic treatments and were given enhanced nutritional supplements, all focused on optimizing their athletic performance.

These athletes followed a specific dosage of food supplements at fixed hours:

• Following each osteopathic treatment
• Every morning
• Before each training
• Before each match or competition

These athletes are:

• Two (2) international ice hockey players moving to the United States to play in the National Hockey League (NHL), and who are currently on the Swedish and German national teams.
• Two (2) golf players playing on the United States Professional Golf Association (USPGA) Tour.

These athletes were chosen because their sports are so radically different. One is a team sport, involving explosive performance and lightning quick reflexive action (hockey); the other an individual sport more focused on endurance, mental toughness, and contemplative focus (golf).

The athletes were treated and enhanced with nutritional supplements for six (6) to eight (8) months of an entire sports season than spanned performances in the United States and Europe.

Each athlete reported their performance at the end of each month on a grid that also included written comments.

The osteopathic treatments were targeted around two precise high-level performance areas:

1. The refinement of musculoskeletal biomechanics of technical movements.
2. The optimization of physiological muscular performance, cardiovascular effort, and hormonal balance.

Nutritional supplementation was selectively chosen to:

1. Support the physiological stimulation of each working osteopathic muscular and vascular systems.
2. Create a natural and direct stimulation, long term in its effect, with the power and endurance available when needed.

The food supplements were manufactured by the Phytoquant laboratory. These products are:

• QuantaMag – Magnesium seafood
• QuantaPhylle – Chlorophyll nettle
• QuantaDyn – Product developed based on bee products and natural stimulants
• QuantaOmega3 – Fish Oil

Osteopathic treatment interventions were carried out at osteopathic clinics in Washington DC and Paris, as well as in the field during sporting events.

Note: Occasionally nutritional supplements were not taken at the designated times, but those anomalies were reported in the results and comments.

Performance training

Each athlete was asked to evaluate his training performance based on three (3) parameters:

• Decrease in fatigue
• Decrease in recovery time
• Quality of physical power (endurance) during repetition of each technical gesture

Improvement based only on the use nutritional supplements

Rating criteria 1 to 5:

1. Resistance to fatigue and endurance
2. Muscle power performance
3. Cardiovascular condition
4. Mental concentration

Performance at competitive events

(Match or tournament)

The answers for each athlete’s performance during competition included three (3) parameters:

• Decrease in fatigue
• Decrease in recovery time
• Quality of physical power (endurance) during repetition of each technical gesture

Athletes’ comments

In general, each athlete’s impression has been summarized in the following paragraph:

“There is a major gap in performance between the addition of osteopathic treatment and targeted supplementation as compared to without treatment or supplementation.”

The comments reflect three (3) major points summarized as follows:

1. Osteopathy is an indispensable ally for the top-level athletes
2. The quality and choice of food supplements are make difference on the level of performance and fight against fatigue. Their consistent usage allows for more intensive training, which then translates into elevated performances.
3. The cranial osteopathic work (and hormonal stimulation) allows the athlete a better level of concentration and stress management.