Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Massage post exercise

I'm not sure what to make of this one.

Massage impairs postexercise muscle blood flow and “lactic Acid” removal

The implication is that postexercise massage of the swedish - effleurage and pétrissage - style is not to be advised.

The bodywork that I get is generally not post-exercise for the purpose of recovery. Rather it is trying to address specific spasms, cramps, trigger points or problem movement patterns.

3 comments:

Lynn Hahn said...

That is confusing. It wasn't a very wide spectrum test so I don't know if I would accept that as truth.

Steven Low said...

This is like the studies on ice baths after workouts.

Everyone knows it helps anecdotally and in real life.... but apparently it doesn't help in studies.

Steven Rice Fitness said...

This is known by many, but not all, massage therapists, but there's still a lot of demand.

I blogged last month:
I recommend that massage be between events or workouts to help with recovery and to prepare for the next time. Massage immediately after heavy exercise can help with muscles that are tightening, but should be fairly light to not add any extra stress to the muscle tissue. Note that "flushing lactic acid" is a myth. A body that's tight and unbalanced doesn't perform well, and that's where skilled massage can make the most difference.