Study finds massage aids muscle recovery

By Cynthia Billhartz Gregorian Comments 0
Published: October 7, 2008

ST. LOUIS — Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps got a massage twice a day in Beijing. His teammate, Dara Torres, had two massage therapists on standby.

And a bunch of sedated rabbits in Ohio recently had massage performed on their legs after bouts of intense exercise.

Phelps, 23, made history by winning eight gold medals. Torres, 41, became the oldest swimmer to compete in an Olympic event and win a silver medal.

As for the rabbits? They might have proved scientifically what athletes and trainers have long believed: Massage really does help with muscle recovery.

According to a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, researchers at Ohio State University found Swedish massage helped speed muscle recovery at the cellular level for rabbits who got mechanically intense exercise.

Athletes also use Swedish massage — stroking, kneading and pressing soft tissue. Thomas Best, professor of family medicine at Ohio State University and senior author of the rabbit study, said it’s too soon for clinical trials on people. But he considers the rabbits a strong start toward confirming massage’s benefits to athletes.

In the study, researchers used a mechanical device to create a motion similar to the way quadriceps in human thighs move when running downhill.

Afterward, some rabbits got Swedish massage; others did not but were rested. Scientists found the muscles of the massaged rabbits had improved function, less swelling and fewer signs of inflammation than did muscles in nonmassaged rabbits.

Muscles produce lactic acid during intense workouts, said Ethel Frese, a professor of physical therapy at St. Louis University and a cardiovascular and pulmonary specialist. The more intense the workout, the more lactic acid is produced. And the greater the accumulation of lactic acid, the more fatigued and painful the muscle becomes. Lactic acid will dissipate on its own, but enhancing blood circulation helps get rid of it quicker.

McClatchy-Tribune Information Services