Go for a massage! Many times we have heard these words as advice after an intense training program or competitive event.

This month, in the “Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise” we are educated differently about the benefits of massage and muscle recovery.

This study tested the hypothesis that sports massage aids muscle recovery from exercise by increasing blood flow to muscles. Increased blood flow should help to remove the build up of lactic acid, which is stored in the muscles.

Twelve individuals where recruited and tested. Two minutes of strenuous isometric exercise with the forearms were performed to elevate the lactic acid in these muscles. Right after the volunteers exhausted their arm muscles, they either lay and relaxed or received a massage by a certified sports massage therapist.

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