Which recovery method is listed as relieving tension and removing lactic acid through increased blood flow?

• A. Massage.
• B. Cryotherapy.
• C. Compression garments.
• D. Ice baths.

Answer: (A)

The idea here is that recovery methods that boost blood flow to muscles help clear metabolic waste and reduce tension. Massage uses manual pressure and rhythmic techniques to increase local blood flow and lymphatic drainage in the muscles. As blood flow rises, lactate and other waste products are carried away more quickly, which can lessen soreness and relieve muscle tightness. In addition, the tissue manipulation helps relax and lengthen tight fibers, further reducing tension.

Cryotherapy hardens the focus to reducing inflammation and numbness by lowering tissue temperature, which actually reduces blood flow rather than increasing it. Compression garments aid venous return and can help with swelling, but their main effect isn’t actively increasing blood flow to flush out lactic acid the way massage does. Ice baths involve cold exposure that narrows vessels initially and is used for inflammation control and recovery signaling, not primarily to promote removal of lactic acid through increased blood flow.

So massage best fits the description of relieving tension and removing lactic acid through increased blood flow.