'Earth' bed sheets may heal sore muscles

"Earthy" bed sheets could be the answer for sporty people needing to heal sore muscles and improve recovery, in an experiment being carried out by a NSW university.

Researchers from Charles Sturt University (CSU) are exploring the idea that grounding the body to the Earth through the use of special bed sheets may reduce the onset of sore muscles and neutralise stress in the body.

Twenty healthy men, induced with muscle soreness in the thighs, will be given "special bed sheets connected to the Earth" and required to sleep in their own beds for three nights.

Participants won't know which bed sheets are regular and which are "special", in the experiment that kicks off on Tuesday.

"It's claimed that connecting the body to the Earth, like walking barefoot on the ground, can enhance muscle recovery after exercise and we're testing whether there's scientific evidence for this idea," Biomedical Science lecturer Dr Peter Micalos said.

"We aim to determine whether grounding the body following delayed onset muscle soreness, will improve muscle recovery in healthy participants."

He said the process of "grounding the body" enables the transfer of the Earth's free electrons which can help neutralise stress in the body.

Dr Micalos said the idea may be able to help inflammatory-related diseases such as asthma, arthritis, diabetes, sleep disorder and other chronic conditions.