How Does Using a Theragun Help Improve Circulation? New Research Study Explores the Physiological Mechanism
Published:
Reviewed by Therabody Scientists: Tim Roberts, MSc; Rachelle Reed, PhD, MS, ACSM-EP
Expert reviewer and study author: Dr. Ron Clijsen
Research trials continue to demonstrate that Theragun® percussive therapy effectively improves measures of exercise recovery. New studies are now asking: what happens in the body physiologically after using a Theragun?
A new study out of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland has found that using a Theragun® may enhance muscle function, recovery, and tissue health through increases in what’s known as muscle microcirculation. [1]
This article breaks down the study’s findings and explains how percussive therapy impacts exercise recovery physiologically.
How does percussive therapy work?
Percussive therapy mimics a deep tissue massage. It’s delivered by a massage gun, applying rapid bursts of pressure and vibration to muscles. [2 ,3]
Through its motorized head and various attachments, Theragun has been shown to increase blood flow, decrease soreness, stiffness, and pain, and improve flexibility and recovery metrics. [4, 5, 6]
Here we’ll break down the findings from an April 2026 study that looked at the effects of Theragun Pro on thigh muscle microcirculation and oxygenation, building on a 2025 study in a female cohort. [7]
What did the study look at?
This study aimed to measure the impact of one percussive therapy session on muscle microcirculation and oxygenation, markers linked to muscle function, recovery, and tissue health.
Who was being studied?
Twenty-two healthy adult students from a mixed university population were enrolled in the study. Participants were an average of 24 years old and had no musculoskeletal or skin conditions in their lower extremities that would impact Theragun application.
How was the study conducted?
Baseline: Height, weight, and body fat percentage were collected, followed by participants lying on their backs for 15 minutes. After that, researchers collected data on muscle microcirculation, muscle oxygen saturation, and perceived sensation (tingling and pulsing of skin).
Intervention: Participants were randomly assigned to receive a two-minute or four-minute Theragun percussive therapy treatment on the thigh. The two-minute condition followed a predetermined sequence across the thigh. The four-minute condition did the same predetermined sequence, twice.
Post-treatment: After the Theragun was used, all outcomes were reassessed immediately, and every five minutes for the next 40 minutes.
"We looked beneath the skin’s surface to understand what happens in the muscle through ultrasound-based microcirculation imaging and near-infrared oxygenation monitoring. Each participant served as their own baseline, letting us track these changes minute by minute after a single treatment session," says Dr. Ron Clijsen, study author.
What did the study find?
The goal of this study was to explore potential mechanisms behind percussive therapy's effects, to better understand what happens in the body after treatment. Here’s what the study found.
Muscle microcirculation increased in the 5-15 minutes following Theragun percussive massage therapy
The study measured microcirculation in all participants, finding that it rose for 5-15 minutes in the pooled Theragun treatment group. Microcirculation is the final delivery system that brings oxygen and nutrients to muscle cells and carries waste products away. A temporary boost in this local blood flow may help explain why the treated area can feel less tight or more recovered in the minutes immediately following use.
Muscle oxygen saturation increased immediately and stayed elevated for the full 40-minute data collection period
Oxygen levels inside the muscle tissue rose immediately after the Theragun treatment and remained above baseline for the full 40-minute observation period.
Higher local oxygen availability supports the energy needs of muscle cells during recovery. The longer-lasting elevation suggests that even a brief session of percussive therapy can help improve the muscle oxygen environment for a meaningful window of time after the device is put away.
"What stood out to us was that these two markers behaved differently over time. Microcirculation rose quickly and peaked within the first 15 minutes, while muscle oxygen saturation climbed more gradually and stayed elevated for the entire 40-minute collection period,” says Clijsen.
Somatosensory sensation ratings increased for about 20 minutes post-treatment
Participants’ perceived somatosensory sensation (PSS) was assessed using a five-point scale. They rated their agreement level with the following statement: “I feel a tingling or pulsing sensation in the area of intervention.”
The sensation in the muscle increased for about 20 minutes before fading. This provides a quantitative measure of acute changes in perception of the intervention in the treatment area.
What do these findings mean for you?
A Theragun treatment to the thigh can help improve markers that are linked to muscle function, recovery, and tissue health.
This research adds to the growing body of evidence supporting percussive therapy as a tool that may help improve markers related to athletic performance and recovery.
"This is one of the first studies to look directly at intramuscular perfusion after percussive therapy rather than surface-level blood flow. It builds on our earlier work in female participants and starts to fill in the mechanistic picture. But it's a single-session study without a control group, so we see it as a foundation for the controlled trials to come next," concludes Clijsen.
Read all of the study findings on Theragun percussive massage therapy.
Key takeaways:
- A short Theragun session on the thigh was linked to physiological changes in both microcirculation and muscle oxygen saturation.
- You do not need long, intensive sessions. Brief, focused treatments can create measurable short-term improvements in local muscle perfusion that may support recovery between workouts.
- Theragun use is linked to temporary improvements in local blood flow and oxygen availability, meaningful outcomes for athletic performance and recovery.
References:
- Acute Effects of Percussive Therapy on Thigh Muscle Microcirculation and Oxygenation
- Comparison of Interventional Strategies to Improve Recovery after Eccentric Exercise-Induced Muscle Fatigue
- The Effect Of Percussive Therapy On Musculoskeletal Performance And Experiences Of Pain: A Systematic Literature Review
- Passive Recovery Strategies after Exercise: A Narrative Literature Review of the Current Evidence
- The Acute Effects of Theragun™ Percussive Therapy on Viscoelastic Tissue Dynamics and Hamstring Group Range of Motion
- The Effect Of Percussive Therapy On Musculoskeletal Performance And Experiences Of Pain: A Systematic Literature Review
- Physiological Effects of Local Theragun™ Application: An Observational Study in Healthy Female Participants
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