Downing your favorite protein shake within 30 minutes of completing a workout is one of the most popular ways to help your muscles recover from the stress of intense exercise. A study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine offers another suggestion: 10 minutes of massage.
Researchers recruited 11 healthy men in their 20s and had them cycle to exhaustion, which took about 70 minutes. One leg got a massage while the other didn't. After 2½ hours, muscle biopsies showed that massage reduced inflammation. Of course, inflammation and rebuilding are two different things. Besides, you're not always going to have a massage therapist standing by, so stick with protein for recovery.
