CONTENTS Chapter 1 Literature Review of GUASHA 1 1.1 Know the GUASHA Therapy 2 1.2 Possible Physiological Mechanisms of Changes in Musculoskeletal, Cardiovascular,Neurological, Hormonal, and Immune Systems During Weightlifting Training 11 1.3 The Possible Physiological and Biochemical Mechanisms by Which GUASHA Therapy Treats the Diseases 18 1.4 GUASHA May Help Weightlifting Training in Neural and Psychological Mechanisms 25 1.5 RPE and HRV 28 Chapter 2 GUASHA Background and Rationale for Improving the Recovery of Weightlifting 30 2.1 Background and Rationale 31 2.2 Scope of the Study 32 2.3 Research Questions 33 2.4 Objective of This Study 33 2.5 Definition of Terms 33 2.6 Significance of the Study 34 2.7 Conceptual Framework of the Study 34 Chapter 3 Methodology on GUASHA Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial About Improving the Recovery of Weightlifting Training 35 3.1 Standardization of GUASHA Therapy 36 3.2 Main Study 38 Chapter 4 Study Results and Discussion on GUASHA Intervention 51 4.1 Main Study Results 52 4.2 Discussion 61 Chapter 5 Summary on the Effects of GUASHA Improving the Recovery of Weightlifting Training 69 5.1 Summary 69 5.2 Conclusion 69 References 70 Appendix A Questionnaire 78 Appendix B Certificate of Guasha Therapist 79 Appendix C Certificate of Ethical Approval of the Khon Kaen University Ethics Committee for Human Research 80 Appendix D Data Collection Form, Subject Information Form and Consent Form 83 Appendix E Additional Form 92 Appendix F Additional Data 96 Appendix G Preliminary Study 103 1. Methodology of Preliminary Study 104 2. Results of Preliminary Study 107 3. Discussion for Preliminary Study 111 4. Summary 112 Appendix H Research Publications 114 Effect of scraping therapy on weightlifting ability 116 Effects of GUASHA on heart rate variability in healthy male volunteers under normal condition and weightlifters after weightlifting training sessions 125 1. Introduction 126 2. Materials and Design 126 3. Results 128 4. Discussions 129 5. Conclusions 132 Guasha improves the rating of perceived exertion scale score and reduces heart rate variability in male weightlifters: a randomized controlled trial 136 List of Tables 149 List of Figures 151 List of Abbreviations 153