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Muscle & Fitness Magazine
May, 1997
Muscles & Magnets
Can they positively recharge your recuperation?
By
Rick Brunner
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Bodybuilders
who want to remain drug-free but still build a champion’s physique
are constantly in search of safe, natural methods to do so. Nutritional
supplements have certainly helped elevate the sport, as have better diets.
One new tool being increasingly used to improve recovery from hard training
and reduce the discomfort of injury is the static magnet. The magnetic strips
or discs now sold via network marketing, infomercials and mail order and
through stores come in all sorts of products from joint supports to seat
cushions. Some are designed to be placed directly on an aching body part.
The subject of magnets in health is controversial. Most of the “proof”
that magnets help speed recovery from training and allow muscles and connective
tissue to heal faster has come from the personal experiences of athletes
and non athletes alike. their testimonies about the beneficial, sometimes
miraculous effects from magnets are encouraging and shouldn’t be discounted,
yet fall short of scientific proof. Those who oppose the use of static magnets
believe they’re nothing more than medieval witchcraft revised for the
‘90s. Do magnets really work, or are they just snake oil? Let’s
look at the evidence.
The Science Behind Static Magnetics
Unlike an electromagnet,
which sends electrical current artificially through conducting coils to
create the magnetic field, a static magnet has a built-in permanent magnetic
field that never needs replenishing. Examples of static magnets are those
used to stick notes to a refrigerator door, a grade-school horseshoe magnet
and a magnetic compass. All magnets have a north and south polarity and
either attract or repel. North repels north, north attracts south and south
repels south.
Reports indicate that through the magnets’ natural effect on charged
particles in the blood, they help blood vessels expand, allowing a larger
quantity of nutrient-rich blood to flow into an area for faster healing
and growth. Blood is an electrical conductor, and electrolytes are compounds
that can carry electric current within the body via the movement of ions
such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. When these ions with their
positive and negative charges pass by a magnetic field, a separation of
ions occurs.
According to a recognized expert on biomagnetism,
Ted Zablotsky, MD, new research over the past five years has pointed to
three specific actions of static magnets on blood vessels. “First,
we’ve seen a slight liberation of heat as the ions separate. Second,
the ions crisscross back and forth between north and south poles of the
magnet. Third, small eddy currents occur in the bloodstream, just as the
eddy currents in a river push the banks outward. These effects collectively
contribute to widening the blood vessels to allow more blood to pass through,”
he says.
All Magnets Are Not Created
Equal
Most magnets in use
today are inefficient, which may be why magnet users have reported mixed
results. As more research is conducted, static magnets may yet prove to
be the new recovery tool of the 1990s and beyond, but beware–not all
magnets are created equal. Choose the wrong type and you’ll get little
or no benefit.
While any static magnet, even the horseshoe type you played with as a kid,
may influence blood flow, the design of the magnet determines just how great
the effects are. The force of the magnet and how far this force penetrates
into muscle tissue are key factors.
The strength of a magnet can be measured in gauss. For example, the magnetic
field of the earth is less than 10 gauss, while the magnets discussed in
this article usually fall between 300 and 500 gauss. Magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI), used in medicine to view structures inside the body, introduces
a strong magnetic field in excess of 10,000 gauss.
Though the strength of the magnet is important, two magnets with exactly
the same strength can perform differently. Ordinary bar magnets that use
standard parallel alternating north and south poles (see "The Standard
Magnet") aren't the most efficient at penetrating muscle tissue, even
if their gauss rating is high. Standard magnets are maximally effective
only if the blood passes directly perpendicular to them; they're less influential
if the blood vessel crosses at an angle or runs parallel to the magnet's
poles.
The most effective magnet design is one using concentric circles of alternating
polarity. The concentric design allows for the maximal penetration to, and
action on, the capillaries bringing blood to muscle tissue in almost any
direction the capillary travels. When tested with a gauss meter placed a
quarter of an inch away, the magnetic "reach" from the concentric-circle
magnet is approximately double that of a checkerboard pattern, and much
greater than the standard bar-type magnet. The concentric-circle magnet
has more magnetic field lines to spare, which can then penetrate the muscle
tissue and make contact with ions within the blood vessels to cause an increase
in blood flow.
One expert with several years of experience using concentric-circle magnets
is Jack Scott, PhD, adviser to the U.S. Track and Field team for the past
four Olympic Games. “Athletes with low-back tightness and pain can
benefit from concentric magnets," he says.
Improved recovery may be another benefit. Because the muscle-growth process
occurs right after training and into long-term recovery, helping the capillaries
deliver more nutrient-rich blood to a muscle may give that muscle a greater
chance to recover and grow. In addition, metabolic toxins that are produced
during high-intensity training might be removed from the target tissue faster,
reducing muscle soreness. "In theory, the magnets applied to muscles
after a hard workout should increase blood flow and speed recovery,"
Scott adds. 'Any elite athlete will recognize the importance of faster recovery."
A double-blind study on the use of concentric-circle magnets in health has
been conducted at Baylor
University Medical Center in Waco, Texas, and is scheduled to be published
this year. Flexible concentric-circle magnets or placebo look-alikes were
placed on the muscles of 50 post-polio survivors who then rated the relief
from pain the magnet or placebo gave them. A statistically significant number
of patients reported less pain when using the magnets vs. the placebo.
Getting The Most From Magnets
From experience, athletes
know that if you increase blood flow to a muscle, the muscle recovers faster.
In addition, recovery from hard training is improved by stimulating blood
flow. Hot tubs, saunas, ultrasound, microwave diathermy, electric heating
pads and moist heat packs are often used to speed healing and improve training
recovery. All these methods use heat to increase blood flow and reduce pain.
The application of heat to a training-stressed body part may sufficiently
overload the neurological processes responsible for pain. Additionally heat
applied to tissue increases metabolism, which causes a relaxation of the
capillary system and results in vasodilation, where the blood vessels open
up. When an increased amount of blood moves to a heated area in an attempt
to cool it, nutrients are delivered and waste products are removed at an
accelerated rate. Compounds thought to stimulate the pain-spasm-pain cycle—such
as histamines and prostaglandins — may be flushed from the area by
increased blood flow, effectively interrupting the pain cycle.
The proper use of any magnet seems to be a contributing factor in its success
or failure. one chronic sufferer of lower-back pain, three-time Mr. Olympia
Frank Zane, first hurt his back as a punter in high school, then experienced
numerous low-back injuries during his bodybuilding career. In addition to
back pain, Frank has been plagued with discomfort in his deltoid-biceps-triceps
area. Today he finds relief with static magnets.
"I don't know how they work, but they do," Frank says. "For
two years now, I've placed two magnetic discs on my lower back, on each
side of my spine, and also apply them to my arms. They've become an important
addition to my bag of recovery tricks, such as ultrasound, massage and relaxation
methods. Their main benefit, as I see it, is I can put the magnets on after
a workout and go about my business."
Magnets can be used at any time during training and in recovery. For example,
after a set of heavy squats, you can apply a magnetic strip or disc right
onto each quad. Shoulders are often stressed when pressing or benching heavy.
After performing a military-press workout or a heavy bench routine, you
can place small magnetic discs right on your deltoids.
Along with traditional methods such as ultrasound, massage and hydrotherapy,
magnets may also prove useful in helping speed the healing of injuries like
tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, muscle strains and ligament or tendon
strains. You can apply the magnet to the affected area and leave it on as
long as it's helpful.
The only case where a magnet may not be recommended is right after an injury
has occurred. Sports-medicine physicians suggest using ice to reduce the
swelling by restricting blood flow immediately following an injury such
as a muscle tear or sprain. once the swelling is under control, magnets
can be used to bring more blood to an area for faster healing.
Rick Brunner is an expert on Russian restoration and training methods and
the president of Atletika Sport International in Bozeman, Montana. Additional
information on the practical use of magnets in sports and health is available
by calling 1-8OO-621-2602.
This information is
for educational purposes only. It is not advice and is not intended to replace
the advice or attention of health-care professionals. Consult your physician
before beginning magnet therapy especially if you have a medical condition
or medical implants or use any other medical device. Pregnant women should
not use magnetic field therapy
REFERENCES
1. Barnothy M.F Biological
effects of magnetic fields, vol. 1 and 2. New York: Plenum Press, 1969.
2. Nakagawa, K. Magnetic-field deficiency syndrome and magnetic treatment.
Japan Medical Journal 2745:1-11, 1976.
3. Mizushima, Y., Akaoka I., Nishida, Y. Effects of magnetic fields in inflammation.
Experimentia 21:1,411-1,412, 1975.
4. Mourino, M.R. From Thales to Laterbur, or from the lodestone to MR imaging:
magnetism and medicine. Radiology 18O:593-612, 1991.
Selecting A Magnet
What should you look
for in a therapeutic static magnet? Get answers to these three questions
before making your purchase:
1) Is the magnet a concentric-circle design with alternating polarity, or
some other pattern?
2) Is the magnet backed by an unconditional guarantee?
3) Is the product backed by scientific
research?
Once you get the answers to these questions, you can make a more educated
decision and purchase the magnet that best meets your needs.
Concentric-circle magnets can be used just as you would a heating pad or
other heat-producing device. Their most common form is a thin flexible strip
or disc that you place on the skin above the targeted muscle and hold with
tape or an elastic bandage. Magnet suppliers offer numerous elastic and
neoprene supports for the back, elbow, knee, wrist and ankle that contain
the concentric alternating-polarity magnetic strips or discs. Concentric
magnets are also available in shoe insoles, seat cushions and mattress pads.
An extra benefit of the concentric-circle flexible-foil magnets may be their
relatively low cost; they range from about $20 - $120, depending on size
and magnet strength.
Will concentric-circle magnets help you recover from hard training faster
and ease the discomfort of injuries and chronic pain? You'll have to judge
this new tool for yourself. Just remember that magnets aren't miracle cures,
and results may vary from individual to individual. Magnets won't regrow
hair on the top of a bald head or cure a disease, but they may allow your
body to perform more efficiently, improving your quality of life.
The History Of Magnetism
The use of magnets to
improve health isn't new. For more than 2,000 years, the effects of magnets
on biological systems have been investigated and debated. The term “magnet"
was probably derived from Magnes, a Turkish shepherd who discovered iron
deposits that were attracted to the nails in his sandals. These deposits,
now called magnetite (a form of iron), were known to the ancients as lodestones
("leading stones").
During medieval times, lodestones were thought to have strong aphrodisiac
powers, and magnetic "cures" for afflictions such as gout, arthritis
and baldness flourished. By the middle of the 18th century, durable high-power
magnets were available throughout Europe. One young researcher, Franz Anton
Mesmer, used magnets to treat patients with various illnesses, which led
to a medical review in Paris that denounced his work as medical quackery.
By the late 1800s, magnets became popular in America, with the Sears Roebuck
mail-order catalog advertising magnetic boot insoles for 18 cents a pair.
Fast forward to 1997. While most consumers today won't stand for the dog-and-pony-show
mentality that prevailed in earlier times, they'll still do almost anything
to find relief from pain. Magnets are being used to ease discomfort associated
with arthritis, fibromyalgia, post-polio syndrome and migraine headaches.
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