WEDNESDAY, Feb. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Having a massage after
strenuous exercise not only feels good, it reduces inflammation in
muscles at the cellular level, researchers have found.
Massage also appears to promote the growth of new mitochondria
in skeletal muscle. Mitochondria are cells' energy-producing
"powerhouses," explained the researchers at the Buck Institute for
Research on Aging and McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
For the study, the investigators conducted genetic analyses of
muscle biopsies from the quadriceps of 11 men after they exercised
to exhaustion on stationary bicycles. After the workout, one of
each participant's legs was massaged. Biopsies from both legs were
taken before exercise, immediately after 10 minutes of massage, and
2.5 hours after the end of the workout.
The researchers found that massage reduced the activity of
inflammation-inducing proteins called cytokines in muscle cells and
promoted the growth of new mitochondria, according to the study
published in the Feb. 1 online edition of the journal
Science Translational Medicine.
Many people find that having a massage after exercise reduces
muscle pain. This pain reduction may involve the same mechanisms as
those targeted by common anti-inflammatory drugs, explained Simon
Melov, a Buck Institute faculty member.
"There's general agreement that massage feels good; now we have a scientific basis for the experience," Melov said in an institute news release.
The findings provide validation for massage, which is growing in
popularity, said lead author Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky, of the
pediatrics and medicine department at McMaster.
"The potential benefits of massage could be useful to a broad spectrum of individuals including the elderly, those suffering from musculoskeletal injuries, and patients with chronic inflammatory disease," Tarnopolsky said. "This study provides evidence that manipulative therapies, such as massage, may be justifiable in medical practice."
More information
The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative
Medicine has more about
massage therapy.