This futuristic 'gun' could be more effective than foam rolling for sore muscles

02/05/2019

‘Purely through its nature, the vertical motion of percussive therapy causes a deeper impact on the body than other forms of myofascial release such as foam rolling,’ says Ben.

‘For some people, foam rolling and different forms of myofascial release can be uncomfortable or painful.

‘Our physician-calibrated percussive therapy combines an optimal frequency (speed) amplitude (depth) and torque (pressure) to override these pain signals from reaching the brain, thereby making the treatment a more comfortable experience.

‘This is referred to as the Gate Control Theory of Pain.’

The benefits of using a Theragun

Theragun helps with the following:

Accelerates recovery and muscle repair
Increases blood and lymphatic flow
Relieves muscle spasms and stiffness
Breaks up scar tissue
Improves lactic acid clearance
Activates the nervous system and muscles
Muscle fatigue, pain, tightness, soreness, and knots
Natural stress relief
Theragun can also help with muscle tension related to nerve damage, atrophy, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and a range of other ailments

Ben McNamara, Theragun UK Lead

Is foam rolling effective for muscle soreness?

Foam rolling is everywhere. There are more than 600,000 videos on YouTube explaining different foam rolling techniques and how to target different muscles.

From elite athletes to casual gym goers – foam rolling has become embedded in the fitness conversation. And it is great that we are all paying more attention to recovery and injury prevention when it comes to working out.

But despite its prevalence, there is still limited information about just how effective foam rolling is for muscle soreness. While most fitness experts seem to agree that foam rolling is better for your muscles than doing nothing, there are some who claim that it can actually be dangerous when done incorrectly.

So what is the truth? And what is the best way to actually use foam rolling to your advantage?

‘Foam rolling can be a great method for assisting the reduction of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). It is one of multiple strategies we can employ to aid the recovery process,’ explains Joe Delaney, personal trainer at Ultimate Performance.

‘It is one method people can use to help shift the build up of lactic acid accumulated from a heavy training session.

‘Foam rolling can help bring new blood into the targeted areas which can assist in the recovery process.

‘Furthermore, as we get sore, we tend to avoid wanting to move those sore muscles, so foam rolling can help increase the range of motion too.

‘Overuse can cause bruising, but this is in the extreme.

‘Use foam rolling as one recovery modality post-training. Low impact steady state bike riding, especially with DOMS in the legs, can also have similar effects with improving blood flow.

‘Most importantly, no amount of cool downs, stretching or foam rolling will help alleviate DOMS if you are not consuming an adequate amount of protein. Protein is the key to rebuilding and repairing the damaged tissue.’

The main argument in favour of using a Theragun rather than a foam roller appears to be the lack of pain – there’s no risk of bruising, no matter how often you use the device.

Dragging sore leg muscles over a roller can be excruciating. While this pain likely isn’t indicative of any damage, it still isn’t pleasant.

Surely, if you had the choice you would prefer to effortlessly soothe your muscles without stifling screams or breaking into a cold sweat.

But at almost £300 for the most basic of models, the Theragun would need to be a serious investment.

If you’re working out on the regular and need your body to recover quickly, it might be worth spending the extra cash and treating yourself to the equivalent of a deep tissue sports massage after every gym session.

When you tot up the cost of monthly massages – you soon make your money back. Your muscles might thank you for it.

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