Massage Guns are a new trend from the world of fitness. They are small devices with a lot of power, which can be used for self-massage of body areas such as the neck, shoulders or legs. The small massage guns are said to be able to relieve muscle tension and increase flexibility, as well as improve overall body awareness.
Research has also addressed the question of whether there really is an effective measure of muscle regeneration behind the fitness trend as the Massage Gun (Link: Massage Gun) is said to be. A study conducted by Shagufta Imtiyaz, Zubia Veqar and M.Y. Shareef from 2019 looked at the comparison of massage therapies and vibration therapies in the prevention of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
In a randomized study, researchers recruited 45 female subjects who were healthy but not athletic. First, the subjects' baseline condition was assessed, and they were randomly divided into three groups (15 subjects per group). The subjects in group one received vibration therapy, during which the muscles were treated with 50 Hz vibration for five minutes. The subjects in group two received 15 minutes of massage therapy. The remaining subjects formed the control group and received no therapy.
The subjects were now asked to complete an exercise session and the following parameters were documented: Muscle soreness (pain sensation), range of motion (ROM), maximum isometric force (MIF), repetition maximum (RM), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and cretain kinase (CK). The parameters LDH, CK and 1RM were measured before and after the therapy treatments as well as immediately after training, 24, 48 and 72 hours after training.
It was found that the muscle soreness of the subjects in the experimental groups (vibration and massage) was significantly less than the muscle soreness of the subjects in the control group. With regard to the other parameters, a clear difference was not observed in all cases. The massage therapy showed a significant recovery of the value 1RM, which indicates the maximum repetitive force during strength exercises.
This and other studies, which have dealt with massage therapy as a form of faster muscle recovery, have not yet been able to come to a clear conclusion. Nevertheless, in this, as well as other studies, it was shown that massage therapy, which can also be achieved the massage gun, can have a positive impact on the regeneration of the body.
Citation
- Imtiyaz, S., Veqar, Z., & Shareef, M. Y. (2014). To Compare the Effect of Vibration Therapy and Massage in Prevention of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND DIAGNOSTIC RESEARCH. https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2014/7294.3971.