Kickboxing muscle rub/liniment ? (Scam or Real)

560ti

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This question is in regards to muscle rubs/liniments.

When products like deep blue and bengay get mention the consensus is that it just dulls the pain receptors and thats about it.

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When products like Neotica and Namman Muay get mentioned, many talk about how it actual acts as a non steroids anti inflammatory

" Its active ingredients, methyl salicylate and menthol, are a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (think aspirin) and a k-opioid receptor activator and sodium-channel blocker (i.e. it dulls nerves sensitivity to pain), and both serve to open capillaries in the skin to facilitate increased blood flow to the region, thereby increasing absorption and distribution of the aforementioned active ingredients into the bloodstream and therefore facilitating the above-mentioned effects, as well as increasing the number of satellite cells and phagocytes that aid in repairing the localized damaged tissue.

In short, it dulls pain and promotes the body's natural healing process via increased bloodflow and reduced swelling in the area of application"

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The information i'm seeing in conflicting. Some claim it just dulls the pain and others are claiming that it actual penetrates the skin and will help reduce swelling/bruising.

I know this part of the forum has amatuer/pro fighters so i'm curious on what your thoughts are on this ?


Thank You
 
I used to use Namman all the time for training. Felt like I would get less tightness, especially in my shins and calves, when I used it vs when I wouldn't. Can't say if this was a placebo effect or not but I could get a bottle for really cheap from my old coach and it would last a long time so it was worth it for me.

Just make sure to piss before applying it as opposed to after...
 
They're not expensive and they all work the same way.


They actually reduce literal healing time of sprains, pulls, and bruises by a large amount. Also keeps muscles from getting sore if you put it on before you workout. If it was just a temporary dulling of pain effect like you suggest, it wouldn't be able to do that.


All serious athletes are familiar with this stuff and none of them make the claim that it's fake. Champions use it without drawing attention to it or endorsement. Who in blue hell is claiming it's fake? It's effects are scientifically verified by now and has been used for at least half a century in pro sports.

I think it's the anti-supplements crowd that may be trying to make everything seem like snake-oil to help boost their unsupported egos. They don't do or try anything so naturally they construct a self-made 'sour-grapes' poultice to ease their conscience and make them feel like they're making the right choice about not trying anything. In reality they're just too lazy or scared to get involved because they fear their own inability to make objective observations. With egos like that, they're right to be scared.
 
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I've used a few. The blue goo above / mineral ice is the cheapest and somewhat numbs the area a bit. Tiger Balm Ultra is a decent step up with Namman being the "best" IMO. The idea is both to numb and increase blood flow = increased healing. Namman and Tiger Balm Ultra seemed to make the bruise coloring go away faster but from a tenderness standpoint not sure if they really helped all that much. For an old ass dude like me they do help loosen up otherwise tight muscles and as mentioned above, DEFINITELY piss or take your contacts out/put them in before applying. I use the Tiger Balm Ultra more now because I can buy decent sized 4 packs easily online for way less than real Namman.
 
I read studies years ago on Dencorub. They showed that Dencorub heats up the skin so the athlete thinks their muscles are warm, consequently leading to more relaxation and confidence in their techniques. However, the heat from the Dencorub did not penetrate to the muscle and had no effect on warming the muscle. Essentially, Dencorub works on a placebo effect. I assume that Tiger Balm and other variants work the same way. I know that physiotherapists get access to gels/creams that do penetrate deep into the muscle. I don't know how accessible these gels/creams are to the general public though.
 
Forget not pissing after, don't whack it with the stuff to see if the 'added sensation' will compliment the experience... Makes getting your leg kick checked feel comparable to being gently tickled by an underwear model. Worst pain you can imagine.
 
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