A study that was reported on in the New York Times reckons that it does nothing to improve blood flow to tired muscles. So what other benefits are there?
Personally I don’t feel better or worse when I have a generic massage. Trigger point release seems to help more, but I’m not sure if that falls indoor the scope of the study mentioned.
Stretching is the same. As long as I’m warmed up and my muscles can stretch to the range of motion required, I don’t see a huge benefit.
All the stuff about massage improving bloodflow and flushing lactic acid is bunk. That being said, massage does help work out muscle knots and break up the occlusions of scar tissue that build up between the muscle fibers. I’ll get a 15-30min. massage at a race as an investment in being able to walk down stairs the next day.
Most pro triathletes aren’t exactly rich, but you’ll see most of them fork over for regular massage (which they would stop doing if it didn’t help).
Let me get this straight. The test subjects “squeezed a hand grip for two minutes.” Then they immediately underwent 10 minutes of arm massage. They then had blood flow measured. From this test – and this test alone – the study definitively concluded that massage does NOT increase blood flow. Really?
Am I to believe that two minutes of hand grip squeezing yields the same results (as far as muscle fatigue, lactic acid build up, muscle tightness, etc.) as 20 hours of swimming/running/riding per week?
I’m convinced …
Sheesh …
I think the final quote from the “study” sums up my feelings:
Mr. Tschakovsky agrees. “Our study does not mean people should skip massages,” he says. “I’m not going to. And my wife, who runs marathons, looked at our results, laughed and said, ‘That’s very nice, Mike, but I’m getting a massage anyway.’ ”
I get a massage as often as I feel it is necessary. Once a month, or weekly during racing season. However, they are not “generic” massages. they’re deep tissue with active release on specific areas. For me IT bands and calves getting worked over all season have helped me keep injuries at bay.
I get a massage as often as I feel it is necessary. Once a month, or weekly during racing season. However, they are not “generic” massages. they’re deep tissue with active release on specific areas. For me IT bands and calves getting worked over all season have helped me keep injuries at bay.
x2
Plus he works on my right-side neck/shoulder/ribs that are ongoing work related issues from computer work/mousing.
I find that if something is tight post race, the freebie 5 min massage offered at the expo tents usually helps. Anecdotally, I’ve always felt better after a massage than not getting one.
Get good on a foam roller and your trigger point stuff, make it a core workout while your at. Then spend your money on ART sessions instead. I had a high hamstring/lower glute whatever cramp the whole time I was training between Louisville and Florida last year. Couldnt get rid of it. At Florida I got an ART session with the guys there and 15 minutes later I was healed. It took 2 guys pulling me in different directions while I rolled a bunch of ways but the cramp was gone when I was done.
