A massage after vigorous exercise unquestionably feels good, and
it seems to reduce pain and help muscles recover. Many people —
both athletes and health professionals – have long contended it
eases inflammation, improves blood flow and reduces muscle
tightness. But until now no one has understood why massage has
this apparently beneficial effect. Now researchers have found
what happens to muscles when a masseur goes to work on them.
Their experiment required having people exercise to exhaustion
and undergo five incisions in their legs in order to obtain
muscle tissue for analysis. Despite the hurdles, the scientists
still managed to find 11 brave young male volunteers. The study
was published in the Feb. 1 issue of Science Translational
Medicine. On a first visit, they biopsied one leg of each
subject at rest. At a second session, they had them vigorously
exercise on a stationary bicycle for more than an hour until
they could go no further. Then they massaged one thigh of each
subject for 10 minutes, leaving