Does Sports Massage Contribute to Post-Workout Recovery?
By: Boris Prilutsky, MA,LMT According to Sven Jonhagen, MD, of the Institutionen Sodersjukhuset in Stockholm, Sweden, Post-Event Sports Massage has no positive therapeutic impact on post-workout recovery in athletes. The results of this study were published in the American Journal of Sport Medicine, (September, 2004). The following is an excerpt from the paper: In this study, participants worked out for 30 minutes, giving their leg muscles intense eccentric exercise which emphasizes extending muscles, not contracting them. Within 10 minutes after their workout, each volunteer received sports massage on only one leg. The benefits of sport massage in which muscles are kneaded harder than regular massage were recently tested by Sven Jonhagen, MD Researchers saw no sign that sport massage helps in post workout recovery. Strength tests taken before, directly after, and 2 days after the exercise session showed similar results for the massaged and unmassaged legs. Both legs were sore for roug
