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Does Tiger Balm produce heat in the muscles?

evmoevmo Sydneydev
edited January 2013 in General Discussion
This discussion was created from comments split from: Marathon Swimming Rules Survey.
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  • dc_in_sfdc_in_sf San FranciscoCharter Member
    The Tiger Balm question was a bit odd, I'm pretty sure it doesn't actually produce heat.

    http://notdrowningswimming.com - open water adventures of a very ordinary swimmer

  • SharkoSharko Tomales BayGuest
    Yea...take care of the Tiger Balm Evan will you!!!....used on cows and for swimmer anti chaffing...not heat

    "I never met a shark I didn't like"

  • evmoevmo Sydneydev
    My apologies, @Sharko. Scott Z. wrote that question, and I have no experience with the stuff.

    Wikipedia says this about heat rubs: "...so named because they produce a feeling of warmth within the muscle of the area they are applied to."

    So, I dunno. Should the question have read: "Topical substance that produces a feeling of heat" ?
  • SharkoSharko Tomales BayGuest
    I was just ribbing a little...but it probably can just be removed....I don't use it much but I think Rob uses it...and would know the effect on the body

    "I never met a shark I didn't like"

  • david_barradavid_barra NYCharter Member
    Sharko wrote:
    Yea...take care of the Tiger Balm Evan will you!!!....used on cows and for swimmer anti chaffing...not heat

    Don’t you mean Bag Balm?

    ...anything worth doing is worth overdoing.

  • evmoevmo Sydneydev
    Yeah, Bag Balm is just lanolin and petroleum jelly - that's the stuff Rob uses. Tiger Balm is a totally different thing.
  • ScottZornigScottZornig Charter Member
    I am sorry if I confused everyone. I could have done a better job of clarifying. What I was trying to ask was "if there was an ointment which created long lasting, penetrating heat (similar to Tiger Balm or Rubefacient heat rub), would you allow it?" What if this substance could raise your core body temperature?

    Sorry for the confusion.

    Scott
  • SharkoSharko Tomales BayGuest
    Evan...yea I meant bag balm....and remember all bubble caps are good!!!!

    "I never met a shark I didn't like"

  • dc_in_sfdc_in_sf San FranciscoCharter Member
    edited January 2013
    evmo wrote:
    Yeah, Bag Balm is just lanolin and petroleum jelly - that's the stuff Rob uses. Tiger Balm is a totally different thing.
    I think the heat effect of Tiger Balm and similar products is the result of irritating the nerves in the applied area and causing them to respond with heat signals. No actual heat is generated.

    It supposedly increases blood flow to the local area which would actually be counter-productive from a heat retention perspective (e.g. much like alcohol would since it is a vasodilator).

    The only use I can imagine would be someone applying it relieve muscle soreness, but I can't imagine it would be that effective in a swimming situation (I've used Icy Hot which is a similar product a couple of time post swim) and would be a pain to apply.
    evmo

    http://notdrowningswimming.com - open water adventures of a very ordinary swimmer

  • dc_in_sfdc_in_sf San FranciscoCharter Member
    edited January 2013
    ScottZornig wrote:
    I am sorry if I confused everyone. I could have done a better job of clarifying. What I was trying to ask was "if there was an ointment which created long lasting, penetrating heat (similar to Tiger Balm or Rubefacient heat rub), would you allow it?" What if this substance could raise your core body temperature?

    Sorry for the confusion.

    Scott
    Tiger Balm etcetera (as per my other post) doesn't actually generate heat. You'd need something like those chemical hand warmers in an ointment form. To have an appreciable effect on your core temperature of the couple of ounces of goop rubbed on your body would likely have to be above the point it would burn your flesh...

    http://notdrowningswimming.com - open water adventures of a very ordinary swimmer

  • evmoevmo Sydneydev
    edited January 2013
    [This is a comment from @dc_in_sf that accidentally got posted in the Rules Survey thread.]
    Niek wrote:
    Tiger balm does produce heat in the muscles!
    I would just caution that there is a difference between heat and the sensation of heat.
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