Massage after exercising soothes and heals muscle tissue

A massage makes you feel great because it releases toxins.

Or that was once the theory, anyway. And it was a feasible idea, but researchers no longer believe that toxin-release comes into play.

In a new study, researchers asked healthy subjects to cycle until they were exhausted. Each subject then received a leg massage — but for only one leg. Muscle tissue samples were taken from each leg 10 minutes after the massage, and again two and a half hours later.

Tissues from the massaged legs had higher levels of two proteins — clear evidence that two things were happening: 1) inflammation was reduced, and 2) additional energy was being generated for cell growth, necessary for muscle healing.

This finding fits neatly with a 2007 study where massage relieved muscle pain by as much as 50 percent.

The “hands on” approach is a proven winner.

Sources:
“Massage Doesn’t Just Feel Good — It Changes Gene Expression and Reduces Inflammation” Discovery Magazine, 2/3/12, discoverymagazine.com