Scientists recently sought to determine why massage helps heal sore muscles. In the February issue of the smartly acronymed science periodical, Science Transitional Medicine, a study report entitled Massage Therapy Attenuates Inflammatory Signaling After Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage was published.
The Study
After an exercise routine that brought participants to exhaustion, scientists took biopsies of the thighs of each subject and compared them with earlier biopsies of the thigh tissue having been at rest. 2.5 hours later, the thighs were biopsied a third time to track recovery of the microtears induced by the exercise. As part of the recovery process, some participants received massage, while others did not.
The Result
The research showed that inflammation-causing “cytokines” (also suspected to be the cause of muscle “soreness”/pain) can be reduced. Excitingly, this was the first time such a result has been correlated with massage.
The Word Is Out!
The study received big exposure when it was covered in The New York Times yesterday, February 6th.
At STM, we look forward to speaking more about this with our athlete friends, and our ear will be to the ground for more research as it is conducted!
