Sports Massage Does Not Detoxify, but Can Help You Recover
Should you try your post-marathon massage tent? Do regular rubdowns to aid recovery while exercising? Research shows that sports massage may not always do what you think, but it can still help you recover from a tough workout.
Most importantly, sports massage does not remove lactic acid or other “toxins” from your muscles. Lactic acid is produced during exercise, and you can associate it with a burning sensation during hard work, but it’s not a problem , doesn’t hurt the next day, and doesn’t require help to remove muscles.
However, massage does help to relax the muscles, which can help relieve tension in the muscles. The same action can destroy adhesions , a type of scar tissue that sometimes forms in muscles.
However, the advantage of massage is that it promotes healing. Research validating massage as a recovery method is conflicting. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn’t, and the differencesmay be due to the different types and timing of massage used in the research . However, recent studies have shown that massage in humans and rabbits improves the muscle’s ability to repair itself after exercise. If you can’t afford regular sports massage from a professional, self-massage with tennis balls and foam rollers is a good strategy.
Pros and Cons of Massage for Runners | World of runners
Photo by Peter Gordon .