Massage and Exercise Recovery
“Ten minutes of massage therapy can help repair exercise-induced muscle damage by subduing inflammation and renewing mitochondria. This mechanism is similar to the way nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) work. Data from the small controlled study also debunk the notion that massage clears lactic acid from tired muscles.
Mark Tarnopolsky, MD, PhD, and colleagues from the Department of Pediatrics and Medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada reported the results of their research in the February 1 issue of Science Translational Medicine.
The authors write, ‘[D]espite having no effect on muscle metabolites (glycogen, lactate), massage attenuated the production of the inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor–alpha and interleukin-6 and reduced heat shock protein 27 phosphorylation, thereby mitigating cellular stress resulting from myofiber injury. In summary, when administered to skeletal muscle that has been acutely damaged through exercise, massage therapy appears to be clinically beneficial by reducing inflammation and promoting mitochondrial biogenesis.’”
