Spray-On Heat Treatment

For muscles so sore it hurts to touch them, there is a new spray-on pain reliever called Deep Heating Sports Spray. It retails for about $4.50 and contains methyl salicylate, menthol and camphor, says a spokeswoman for Mentholatum Co., which markets the product.

Worth a try? “Its active ingredients are similar to those found in the rub-on (pain-relieving) creams,” says Tom Anderson, an exercise physiologist for Centinela Hospital’s Fitness Institute in Culver City. The spray is probably less sticky than the creams, he says.

But don’t be fooled by the name. “Sometimes these products only heat up the superficial muscle layers,” Anderson says.

A final caveat for athletes: Don’t substitute heat-generating sprays or creams for a good warm-up before the workout.