Saltwater/Epsom Salts

libelula

I'm a big believer in walking in the sea or using epsom salts to ease sore legs. I've used both, and they work.

So can anyone tell me why they work in simple english please?
What's going on with the salt and the muscles?

aero2k

I don't get to walk in the sea very often, but I do have an occasional Epsom salt bath. For some reason, the salt bath does seem to leave the legs more refreshed than an ordinary bath - even if that's just a placebo effect, it's a pretty cheap one if you buy a large quantity.

A quick Google tells that Epsom salts contain magnesium which is absorbed through the skin and has lots of beneficial effects - I can't vouch for how scientific that is other than to point out that many drugs are delivered by patches so it is an effective method of getting stuff into the body.

rom

magnesium is supposed to reduce cramps.

Dubgal72

My coach swears by paddling in the sea for muscular relief. Told me to get down to the beach and paddle for my Achilles niggle So can't say why it works but if coachy says it does...

libelula

Aye. It works a treat!
The magnesium theory makes sense..

aquinn

Ah, this is why they recommended this for me.

www nourish ie
betteryou-magnesium-oil-goodnight-spray

Why can't you link from a phone?

libelula

aquinn wrote: »

Ah, this is why they recommended this for me.

www nourish ie
betteryou-magnesium-oil-goodnight-spray

Why can't you link from a phone?

That stuff looks like the right job, I'll have seven please

Ron Gomall

libelula wrote: »

I'm a big believer in walking in the sea or using epsom salts to ease sore legs. I've used both, and they work.

So can anyone tell me why they work in simple english please?
What's going on with the salt and the muscles?

From Yahoo health
"
There’s been one small clinical study that has linked Epsom salt baths to raising magnesium levels— 19 adults with low-level magnesium deficiencies took 12-minute, 125-degree baths every day for one week, and most participants had marginally higher magnesium levels after seven days. Related studies found that magnesium did not penetrate the skin when used in a 98.6-degree bath — a more normal bathing temperature — and no study has been able to prove that Epsom salt relieves muscle pain or soreness. "

I take a hot Epsom bath & whether placebo or not, feel better afterwards... Also after ice baths (but have to psych myself up more for these...)

I'm a fan too of walking into the sea, lake or river after a run... No science but think it soothes the legs

aquinn

Disaster sailing so spent most of morning in Dublin bay so legs at least perfect.

Mickeroo

Likely a placebo effect but that doesn't mean it isn't beneficial.

adrian522

Pretty skeptical about all this but gave it a go after todays 21 miles. Was pleasant , not sure it makes much difference though.

rooneyjm

Getting into the sea/river/lake helps reduce inflammation. There was a theory that it aided recovery by removing lactic acid I think that has been dis-proved. I feel better after being cold water, bath or otherwise after a hard session.

If you wanted to increase you magnesium levels surly ingesting it is the best way.

Jellybaby1

I often wondered about this too as you sometimes see racehorses being walked through the seawater at beaches.

adrian522

rooneyjm wrote: »

Getting into the sea/river/lake helps reduce inflammation. There was a theory that it aided recovery by removing lactic acid I think that has been dis-proved. I feel better after being cold water, bath or otherwise after a hard session.

If you wanted to increase you magnesium levels surly ingesting it is the best way.

I was reading a bit about this and the author was saying that reducing inflammation and reducing pain are 2 opposite things given that inflammations is the bodies response to muscle damage and is part of the healing process. So reducing inflamation would not help recovery.

https://www.painscience.com/articles/epsom-salts.php

Similarly, Epsom salts probably cannot simultaneously perform the two tricks most often touted: “relieve pain” and “speed healing.” Those are completely different things.

They might even be mutually exclusive. For instance, the primary source of injury pain is inflammation — a complex and painful physiological process intended to … wait for it … speed healing. Indeed, the only known mechanism by which you could recover faster from an injury would be to increase inflammation. If bathing in Epsom salts did that, it would make you hurt more, not less. Of course, there could be other ways to speed up healing — in an “anything’s possible” kind of way — but it’s still pretty far-fetched that a single molecule could pull off both that miracle and reduce pain at the same time.

It's actually a very good read but the bottom line is there is no scientific evidence for any of the claims.

rooneyjm

adrian522 wrote: »

I was reading a bit about this and the author was saying that reducing inflammation and reducing pain are 2 opposite things given that inflammations is the bodies response to muscle damage and is part of the healing process. So reducing inflamation would not help recovery.

Maybe not of the muscles but if you can reduce the inflammation around the joints (knees and hips especially), then you are more likely to keep on track with your training plan, if you suffer in these areas.

I did see an article that said you actually need the inflammations to promote the growth required for improvement.

rooneyjm

http://www.runnersworld.com/sweat-science/do-ice-baths-block-training-gains

cjt156

I remember BBC doing one of their light-weight science/medical shows and demonstrating that both ice baths and hot baths both reduced inflammation and pain.
Conversely cooling gels and heating sprays were only distracting from the pain. They also mentioned that the inflammation is actually the muscle accounting for damage and beginning the rebuilding process.
It was very superficial demo but they did quote studies to back up the evidence.
No mention of Epsom salts, though. Sounds like placebo-effect to me.