Acupuncture and the London Marathon

Paula Radcliffe is an #acupuncture fan and athletes in other sports, including the tennis player Maria Sharapova, also use it. Serious runners will leave no stone unturned in their quest for speed. The latest trend is acupuncture to ease weary limbs, niggling injuries and post-race fatigue (source: Times).

Acupuncture helps athletes recover from fatigue

Interesting research in Taiwan has shown that acupuncture helps athletes recover from muscle fatigue. Elite basketball players were put through hard training with some of the players receiving acupuncture treatment. Those having acupuncture were recorded as having lower heart rates and lower levels of lactic acid, the substance that causes muscles to feel very stiff after exercise (from American Journal of Chinese Medicine via PubMed).

Acupuncture for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Studies show acupuncture improves quality of life for sufferers of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Researchers in Beijing, China, reported acupuncture can significantly improve the physiological wellbeing of CFS patients, particularly with regard to their individual self-perception (from Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion).