PROGESTERONE HEALS DELAYED MUSCLE SORENESS

Report #7262

A recent study from the University of Massachusetts shows that birth control pills may help women become better athletes (1).

Athletes shouldn't do the same workouts every day. They improve most by stressing and recovering. On one day, they take a hard workout that makes their muscles sore on the next day. Then, on the next few days they take easier workouts until the soreness disappears. Anything that helps alleviate next-day soreness allows the athlete to recover faster and they can do more work and perform at a higher level. In the University of Massachusetts study, women taking birth control pills compared to regularly menstruating women, had far less muscle soreness on the days after they exercised vigorously. Since they recovered faster, they could take harder workouts sooner.

Another study from East Carolina University shows that a vigorous massage two hours after hard exercise can also help athletes recover faster from workouts by reducing next-day muscle soreness (2). A 30- minute massage 2 hours after hard exercise reduces muscle damage as evidenced by far less muscle soreness and far lower blood levels of the enzyme called CCK which is released from damaged muscle. So massage and birth control pills may help women to become better athletes.

By Gabe Mirkin, M.D., for CBS Radio News