Massage, which is thought to help athletes speed up muscle recovery after sporting performance, is actually of little physical benefit, say researchers.

Boxers who received massage between bouts did not fare any better than those who did not receive the treatment, though they felt their performance was enhanced, a report says.

This perceived recovery could be important in itself, the team at University College Chichester's division of sport studies said.

Levels of blood glucose and lactate - which builds up after exercise - and heart rate were measured before and after two bouts.

After the first bout, the amateur boxers either received 20 minutes of massage or had 20 minutes of rest.

Punches

The force of their punches was also assessed and shown to be less powerful in the second bout in both cases.

Blood lactate levels were no lower after massage than after rest, indicating that blood flow, needed to disperse lactate, was not increased or did not increase enough.

None of the other indicators varied significantly, though the boxers given massage felt better when they were asked to rate their recovery.

Dr Brian Hemmings, who led the research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, said: "Massage did not affect repeated sports performance."

But he added: "The discovery that perceptions of recovery showed significant changes after massage gives some scientific support for the use of massage as a recovery strategy."

Useful therapy

Dr Nick Webborn at the National Sports Medicine Institute told BBC News Online the results of the study did not rule out massage as a useful therapy for athletes.

He said: "You can't extrapolate from it that it is not of any benefit in cycling, sprint racing or other sports with different physiological parameters.

"His conclusion should be there was no benefit of massage in this group of boxers, it does not mean there is no benefit generally."

The person doing the massage, how well they are trained and the length of massage are all important, he added.

A spokeswoman for the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists said: "The research is welcome confirmation of the psychological benefit of massage, which is an important factor for sports physiotherapists working with athletes.

"However, it is based on a small sample from one sport and we would like to see more research into the physiological effects of massage for athletes."