Massages

halien said:

I recently attended a speach on cycling, and the benifits of massages were mentioned.

What are the benifits of massages. How often should I get massaged and is there any downside.

Cheers

Suggest you try a "sports" massage after your next big event. 15-20 minutes work on the legs and lower back will really help clear out lactic acid and speed your recovery. You'll probably feel super-relaxed after....just don't fall asleep on the table like I did!

dhk said:

15-20 minutes work on the legs and lower back will really help clear out lactic acid and speed your recovery.

Here's the rub though (eh, get it :p ) within a a few minutes, there is no lactic acid in your legs. Lactic acid doesn't pool like the myths say, in fact it's used to make more ATP, but that's another story....

Does anyone have any real data on massages? I love them too, but they're awfully expensive, around $60/hour. It would be nice to know if there's any real benefits to massages other than it feels good.

halien said:

I recently attended a speach on cycling, and the benifits of massages were mentioned.

What are the benifits of massages. How often should I get massaged and is there any downside.

Cheers

i hate to state the obvious but weren't you listening!?

As Beerco states large amounts of lactate don't hang around after exercise. After supramaximal efforts it takes about 90-mins for the lactate to return to normal levels.

I can't think of any research off the top of my head that shows a positive physiological benefit to massage. however, it does seem to psychologically at least make you feel better.

ric

halien said:

I recently attended a speach on cycling, and the benifits of massages were mentioned.

What are the benifits of massages. How often should I get massaged and is there any downside.

Cheers

The benefits (especailly long term) of massage are very difficult to quantify. Most research, that is not confounded by countless uncontrollable factors, looks at short term recovery from exercise:
ncbi.nlm.nih.govquery.fcgiOpen ↗
ncbi.nlm.nih.govquery.fcgiOpen ↗
The benefits that are harder to measure are related to the mechanical pressure and stretching of the muscle tissues, which can break down scar tissue, adheasions, etc. The references for these issues (that I have) are not accessible online.