You just finished your first half marathon. The medal is still around your neck when you get back to the car. By the time you get home, your legs have stiffened up so much that getting out of the driver’s seat takes two tries.

The next couple of days are usually the sorest. A lot of runners spend them on the couch with a foam roller and a bag of frozen peas. Some add a TENS unit for running recovery, like a Quad Stim Plus, to the mix.

How Runners Use It

A TENS unit for running recovery doesn’t fix tired muscles. What it does is send a light tingle through pads on your skin. While that’s running, a lot of people find the soreness easier to put up with. Some feel a little better for a while after. Others say it didn’t do much for them, and the research has been mixed. A small recovery TENS machine fits in a race-day bag, so some people bring one along.

Calves and quads are where most runners put the pads. After a race with a lot of downhill, it’s usually the quads. The pads sit on the sore muscle a few inches apart, and the level only needs to go high enough for a steady tingle.

If you have a TENS/EMS combo unit, there’s a second option. The EMS setting makes the muscle squeeze and relax gently. Some runners use a low EMS recovery program on a rest day, a bit like an easy shakeout run. It’s a nice extra if you have it, not something you need.

When It’s Not Just Soreness

Soreness after a race feels achy and spread out. It should ease up a little each day.

A sore spot on your shin or the top of your foot that hurts to press on is a different thing. That could be a stress fracture, and it’s worth getting checked. A calf that turns swollen and warm needs to be looked at right away too.

The pads shouldn’t go on blisters or chafed skin, which is pretty common after a long race. The unit isn’t for using while you drive home. Anyone with a pacemaker or other implant should get a doctor’s OK first.

Most of your recovery still comes from rest and food. A TENS unit for recovery is just one more thing that might make those first couple of days easier.

Be sure to check out our other blog posts for information and more tips to keep you operating at your peak.