Massage after exercising soothes and heals muscle tissue
Why do you feel great after a massage?
One theory has it that massage releases toxins. It’s a feasible idea. But researchers no longer believe that toxin-release comes into play.
In a new study, researchers asked subjects to cycle until they were exhausted. Each subject then received a leg massage. But for only one leg. Ten minutes after the massage, researchers took muscle tissue samples from each leg.
Protein levels provided evidence that two things were happening…
1) The massage reduced inflammation
2) Additional energy was generated for muscle healing
This finding fits neatly with a 2007 study. In that trial, 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
