I've been a big advocate of massage since I started training back in the 1980s. I've used it therapeutically to help recuperate from injury, to speed recovery from training, and in general to reduce stress and improve overall relaxation. And while I have little doubt of the benefits, I had not seen any research on how it actually works.
In this
new study , researchers at the Ohio State University looked at how massage speeds recovery after a sports injury. They found that massaging the muscles immediately after exercise reduced swelling and muscle damage, in animals.
The research, which was published in the journal
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise , was performed on rabbits. A mechanical device was used to mimic the movements of exercise and another device was used to simulate the massaging motion after the exercise was completed. The muscles of the animals that exercised and received massage were compared to those that exercised but did not receive massage afterwards. They found that the animals who received massage had "improved function, less swelling and fewer signs of inflammation."
This cycle of intense exercise followed by therapeutic massage was repeated for four days. After that, the animals’ muscle strength and tissue was examined. The researchers found that the massaged muscles recovered about 60 percent of their strength after the four-day trial as compared to only 14 percent recovery in muscles that were exercised but not massaged after.
They also found that the massaged muscles had fewer damaged muscle fibers, no sign of white blood cells, (which would indicate that the body was working to repair muscle damage), and weighed about 8 percent less (which suggests that the muscles were not swollen) when compared to muscles that were not massaged.
The researchers plan to use this research as a guide for testing the effects of massage on muscle recovery after exercise, in humans. I would definitely like to see the results of these trials, and have found, personally, that a regular massage every two weeks helps my recovery from exercise, immensely.
If you have not had a massage in a while, treat yourself to a good massage! And if you live in the Santa Barbara area, and would like to receive a therapeutic massage, I highly recommend Kathy Gruver of
www.healingcirclemassage.com .
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In this new study , researchers at the Ohio State University looked at how massage speeds recovery after a sports injury. They found that massaging the muscles immediately after exercise reduced swelling and muscle damage, in animals.
The research, which was published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise , was performed on rabbits. A mechanical device was used to mimic the movements of exercise and another device was used to simulate the massaging motion after the exercise was completed. The muscles of the animals that exercised and received massage were compared to those that exercised but did not receive massage afterwards. They found that the animals who received massage had "improved function, less swelling and fewer signs of inflammation."
This cycle of intense exercise followed by therapeutic massage was repeated for four days. After that, the animals’ muscle strength and tissue was examined. The researchers found that the massaged muscles recovered about 60 percent of their strength after the four-day trial as compared to only 14 percent recovery in muscles that were exercised but not massaged after.
They also found that the massaged muscles had fewer damaged muscle fibers, no sign of white blood cells, (which would indicate that the body was working to repair muscle damage), and weighed about 8 percent less (which suggests that the muscles were not swollen) when compared to muscles that were not massaged.
The researchers plan to use this research as a guide for testing the effects of massage on muscle recovery after exercise, in humans. I would definitely like to see the results of these trials, and have found, personally, that a regular massage every two weeks helps my recovery from exercise, immensely.
If you have not had a massage in a while, treat yourself to a good massage! And if you live in the Santa Barbara area, and would like to receive a therapeutic massage, I highly recommend Kathy Gruver of www.healingcirclemassage.com .