Physio’s Corner: my major ick in physio

One of my biggest pet peeves is people saying they’re going to do some mobility training, only to get out a massage gun and stay stationary while using it, i.e. not being mobile at all.

Generally speaking, I see massage guns being used ineffectively in younger athletes, which I’m putting down to a combination of wanting to use trendy recovery tools and a distinct lack of knowledge on how to optimise mobility in the recovery phase.

How you approach your recovery should be similar to your nutrition: focus on building a strong foundation and nailing the basics, rather than believing that short bursts of supplements will keep you sustained. Athletes at Thames Rowing Club are great at implementing a movement-first and holistic approach to recovery and injury rehabilitation, for instance, as they do the simple things consistently well, and avoid a strategy of short bursts of being exceptional only once or twice.

So, this article will provide a simple guide to using mobility to your advantage (without the message guns!), that you can put to use after any land or water session, or even post-race.

First things first, let’s define mobility and how people perceive massage guns to be helpful.

Mobility = Movement + Ability

Put simply, your mobility is your ability to move. More specifically, it is your ability to move through a joint’s range of motion.

Mobility isn’t just a buzzword people throw around. Your mobility directly affects your athletic performance in the gym and on the water. Being able to move effortlessly through each joint’s full range is key to having fluid movement, staying active and reducing the chance of injuries.

The theoretical aim of massage guns – and other tools like compression boots and cryotherapy – is to alleviate muscle soreness, reduce fatigue, and aid recovery. Whether they actually do is still a mystery to the sports science community, and research is continually developing.

What are the benefits of having good mobility?

• Improved awareness of space and its position, medically known as proprioception. This can lead to improved movement patterns and coordination (Aman et al., 2015). 
• Reduced chance of injury. Mobility helps to prevent other parts of the body from compensating. In some cases, a lack of mobility in your hips can cause your lower back (lumbar spine) to compensate and over time that may cause a lower back injury. 
• Better comfort during daily activities.
• Better quality of life.
• Better athletic performance.

What the research is saying…

The research is mixed about whether using massage guns actually helps improve recovery or whether it only brings a psychological advantage.

One 2023 study claims that they help to improve the short-term range of motion, flexibility and recovery-related outcomes. However, using it before sessions does not improve performance, and in some cases, it hinders strength, balance, speed and explosive exercises after training, too (Ferreira et al., 2023). It can therefore be argued that using a massage gun is ineffective at improving strength and explosive power, because the vibrations reduce muscle stiffness and reactivity in the short-term. 

That said, when it comes to the overall impact of massage guns, the jury is still out.

Instead of looking like you’re doing something but not really doing anything, here are a few things you can think about:

1. What areas do you feel are a bit tight or restricted?
2. Are there any positions in the rowing stroke or gym exercises that you struggle with?
3. What positions and movements feel really comfortable and uncomfortable?
4. How much time can you honestly dedicate to your mobility?

Here’s what you can do instead:

Primer – get the muscles working to increase blood flow…

1. A lower body exercise like squats, lunges, glute bridges, or Jefferson curls
2. An upper body pushing exercise like scapular push ups or regular push ups
3. Core exercises – you and your coaches know plenty!

…followed by a full mobility circuit

1. 10x deep squat into hamstring stretch
2. 10x down dog into cobra 
3. 8x each side hip 90/90s
4. 8x shell stretch
5. 10x happy cat sad cat
6. 8x each side thread the needle

One thing remains the same and that is our recovery pyramid. Like any pyramid, the bottom layers provide a strong and stable foundation. This is where the real wins are made. It is not the sparkly 1% at the top; wins don’t really come so easily in our sport, after all!

Key takeaways:

1. Massage guns can be beneficial for your recovery, but not your warm ups.
2. Using them before warming up your muscles can hinder your athletic performance and power output.
3. Using massage guns instead of mobility exercise or stretching is an excuse, not an explanation. 

Sophie is a Registered and Chartered Physiotherapist

For more information or advice, please reach her on Instagram @sophiehudsonphysio

Diagram credit: Sophie Hudson

References

Aman JE, Elangovan N, Yeh IL, Konczak J. The effectiveness of proprioceptive training for improving motor function: a systematic review. Front Hum Neurosci. 2015 Jan 28;8:1075. 

Ferreira RM, Silva R, Vigário P, Martins PN, Casanova F, Fernandes RJ, Sampaio AR. The Effects of Massage Guns on Performance and Recovery: A Systematic Review. J Funct Morphol Kinesiol. 2023 Sep 18;8(3):138. 

Hernandez F.A., Crussemeyer J., Nakajima M., Valenzuela K.  Effects of Percussion Therapy (Theragun™) on Range of Motion and Athletic Performance.California State University; Long Beach, CA, USA: 2020.

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