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Does Sports Massage After a Workout Have Any Benefit? Studies say massage may reduce muscle soreness By Wendy Bumgardner Wendy Bumgardner Wendy Bumgardner is a freelance writer covering walking and other health and fitness topics and has competed in more than 1,000 walking events.
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Learn about our editorial process Updated on December 06, 2019 Print Louis Hiemstra/E+/Getty Images At the finish line of every marathon or half marathon, you see the sports massage tent set up and racers lined up for a treatment. But does sports massage after an intense exercise workout speed muscle recovery?
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Does it reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)? While athletes of every kind use sports massage, the hard research into whether and how it works has been sparse. Sports Massage Probably Reduces Muscle Soreness If you wonder whether to treat yourself to a massage after a race or hard workout, the best evidence is that it may reduce your soreness.
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Reviews of clinical trials concluded that there is some evidence that sports massage reduces delayed onset muscle soreness. One review found evidence that massage worked while other commonly used tactics of icing, stretching and doing low-intensity exercise did not have any effect.
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They couldn't determine what the right timing is to get the massage or if one kind of massage is best. Getting a leg massage after a race might mean fewer aches in the following days. Does Massage Help Recovery for Performance The jury is still out as to whether sports massage will help your muscles recover faster for performance.
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The evidence from case studies versus randomized controlled trials shows either no effect or some effect in facilitating recovery. A 2008 study by Ohio State University researchers found evidence that Swedish massage improved the time it took for the muscle to recover and the massaged muscles had less damage and less evidence of swelling and inflammation. The four-day study was performed on rabbits rather than humans.
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They were sedated and their muscles put through simulated exercise. The test group of rabbits then received a simulated massage while a control group didn't get massage.
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The massage imitated Swedish massage techniques, which are the most popular for a sports massage with long strokes, kneading, friction, and joint movement. After the exercise and massage, the researchers tested the muscle tissues of all of the animals.
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The specific muscle tested was the anterior tibialis, which in humans is the shin muscle that often complains of shin splint pain when you begin or change your walking program. The difference in strength recovery between massaged muscles was significant - 60 percent strength compared to 15 percent for the non-massaged muscles. The researchers also saw that the massaged muscles had fewer damaged muscle fibers and no sign of white blood cells present to repair muscle damage.
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The massaged muscles showed less sign of swelling, weighing 8 percent less than the non-massaged muscles. A review also notes that massage reduces markers of inflammation after exercise, which might mean less exercise-induced muscle damage. The 11 Best Massage Guns of 2022
Should You Get Sports Massage Walkers training for a half marathon or marathon may benefit from sports massage after their long workouts if only to reduce muscle soreness.
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You can find a certified massage therapist in your area. A cheaper alternative is to train your walking partner or spouse to use simple Swedish massage techniques. Using a foam roller to perform self-massage might also be a less expensive way to get the benefits of massage.
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Use a Foam Roller for Sports Massage 2 Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Guo J, Li L, Gong Y, et al. Massage alleviates delayed onset muscle soreness after strenuous exercise: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Physiol.
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2017;8:747. doi:10.3389/fphys.2017.00747 Dupuy O, Douzi W, Theurot D, Bosquet L, Dugué B. An evidence-based approach for choosing post-exercise recovery techniques to reduce markers of muscle damage, soreness, fatigue, and inflammation: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Front Physiol.
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2018;9:403. doi:10.3389/fphys.2018.00403 Additional Reading Best TM, Hunter R, Wilcox A, Haq F. "Effectiveness of Sports Massage for Recovery of Skeletal Muscle From Strenuous Exercise." Clin J Sport Med.
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2008 Sep;18(5):446-60. doi: 10.1097/JSM.0b013e31818837a1. Butterfield TA, Zhao Y, Agarwal S, Haq F, Best TM.
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"Cyclic compressive loading facilitates recovery after eccentric exercise." Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2008 Jul;40(7):1289-96. Dupuy O, Douzi W, Theurot D, Bosquet L, Dugué B.
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An Evidence-Based Approach for Choosing Post-exercise Recovery Techniques to Reduce Markers of Muscle Damage, Soreness, Fatigue, and Inflammation: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis. Front Physiol. 2018;9:403.
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Published 2018 Apr 26. doi:10.3389/fphys.2018.00403 Guo J, Li L, Gong Y, et al. Massage Alleviates Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness after Strenuous Exercise: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
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Front Physiol. 2017;8:747.
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Published 2017 Sep 27. doi:10.3389/fphys.2017.00747 Torres R, Ribeiro F, Alberto Duarte J, Cabri JM. "Evidence of the physiotherapeutic interventions used currently after exercise-induced muscle damage: Systematic review and meta-analysis." Physical Therapy in Sport Volume 13, Issue 2, May 2012, Pages 101–114.
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By Wendy Bumgardner
Wendy Bumgardner is a freelance writer covering walking and other health and fitness topics and has competed in more than 1,000 walking events. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful?
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