Why Sports Massage Improves Athletic Performance

Athletes train hard to achieve their greatest possible performance in their chosen sport. However, rigorous training can lead to muscle tension, joint stress, and injury. This affects training and conditioning schedules, and ultimately performance. Depending on the severity of the injury, it may require a few months of rest to heal the damaged body part. Integrating professional sports massage therapy into your regime helps improve performance, conditioning, and reduces the risk of injury. It can also promote healing, relieve chronic pain, reduce muscle inflammation, and improve range of motion.

What is Sports Massage Therapy

Sports massage therapy is specifically tailored for athletes and other active individuals. Its techniques are designed to help the body function optimally so that you can achieve peak performance. Sports massage does not merely benefit you physically. In addition to relieving body pain, it also helps reduce stress and condition the mind, allowing you to work out harder and more efficiently.

Sports massage does not only help avoid injuries during training. It is also vital for post-training recovery by accelerating healing from musculoskeletal pain. It is also in sports rehabilitation as a stress relief aid and enhancement of physical performance.

During strenuous physical activities, the tension in the muscles builds up in the soft tissues. Overextension, minor injuries and lesions in the soft tissues can cause a great deal of pain, which results in poor athletic performance. Getting a professional sports massage helps increase flexibility, response time, and mobility before training and during athletic events.

How It Benefits Athletes

Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) prevents many athletes from training to their full potential. DOMs refers to muscle pain that develops a few hours after exercise. Although it is exercise-induced muscle pain, DOMS does not necessarily cause significant muscle damage. Heavy exercise may reduce the muscle’s capacity to relax and results in chronic muscle tightness and inflexibility. When muscles become inflexible, it causes soreness and increases the risk of muscle pulls and tears. It also decreases blood flow through tight muscle tissues (ischemia).

Immediate treatment and rehabilitation help prevents the effects of heavy-exercised muscles effectively. Preventive techniques, such as a regular, routine sports massage, prepare the muscle tissues and flush toxins out from the body after a taxing training.  Remedial massage therapists and other healthcare practitioners are trained to perform different strategies to deliver optimum results. Various studies document the benefits of therapy. These professionals can provide you with the right massage technique, whether it is deep massage therapy that involves the slow application of pressure, or a light-pressured, fast-moving technique. No matter what the specific needs are, sports massage therapy can be customized to meet the athlete’s therapy plan.

Let us take a look at how a sports massage is beneficial to athletes:

• Muscle Flexibility – Therapists are highly trained to stretch the muscle fibres. Regular massage helps improve both range of motion and muscle flexibility. This allows the athlete to move correctly and effortlessly during training or in competition. It also tones the muscle by mechanically stimulating muscle reflex. Lack of flexibility and reflex causes the fibres to adhere together, creating knots that limit the range of motion. When left untreated, it can result in sore and tightness and restricts the muscles from performing its job.

• Reduced Muscle Fatigue -Muscle fatigue is common in athletes undergoing new training techniques and schedules or intense workouts. When the body senses an increase in the workload, the muscles will respond accordingly. However, the level of toxins, such as lactic acid, in the tissues increases as the muscles work harder. If left untreated, it can cause tissue damage over time. This damage can result in poor circulation within the muscles, leading to tightness and shortening of the tissue. Stiffness and soreness prevent athletes from performing at their peak. Routine massage therapy removes the buildup of lactic acid and other toxins in the muscles, alleviating pain and tension.

• Increased Blood Circulation – When the blood can circulate properly throughout the body, it effectively removes the toxins caused by stress and fatigue. A good body massage increases blood circulation and flow and promotes fast recovery. Manual manipulation of the muscles helps blood to circulate at a quicker pace, improving oxygenation. It causes the blood vessels to dilate, which is crucial in supplying essential nutrients to the muscles tissue and eliminating toxic waste from the body at a faster rate.

To successfully get rid of the toxins, health experts recommend drinking plenty of water after the session. This helps to flush the toxins effectively and reduce muscle soreness and tiredness. Improved circulation benefits pain-free training, allowing athletes to perform better.

• Improved Mental Health – A healthy mind plays a key role in improved athletic performance. Success in competitive sports does not rely solely on physical strength. It also requires intense mental focus and concentration. Stress and pain prevent you from performing at your best. Sports massage therapy de-clutters the mind,  activates the parasympathetic nervous system, relaxes the body, and keeps the cortisol level low.

Getting a professional massage increases the levels of endorphin in the brain, lifting your mood and reducing pain. Endorphins boost mental health and reduce anxiety and stress levels. Healthy mind and body lead to enhanced sports performance.

Frequency of Sports Massage

The frequency of sports massage sessions depends on personal and sports-related needs. Sports experts suggest a minimum of one massage per week during training as a preventive measure. Ideally, it is recommended to book a session with a licensed therapist before and after an intense training session.

In addition to its benefits, this type of sports therapy is proven safe and without side effects. However, athletes with bleeding disorders, recent surgery, fractured bones, open wounds, and acute ruptured tendon should consult their healthcare provider before booking.

Licensed registered massage therapist helps determine if a sports massage therapy is right for you. The therapist will perform expert massage strokes for about 30 to 60 minutes to help the body relax and ease fatigue and tension in the muscles. Incorporating stretches and other types of exercise can help maximize the benefits of sports massage therapy.

With that in mind, it is easy to see why sports massage therapy is an essential factor in improving athletic performance. Athletes also enjoy their training better due to less muscle stiffness and pain, enhanced relaxation, and reduced risk of injury. While massage is effective and comes with several advantages, gaining maximum benefit depends on the expertise and skills of the therapist. Choosing the right massage therapist helps you get the most out of each session.

The licensed massage therapists at Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centres of Ontario are equipped with the right knowledge, expertise, and skills needed physical and mental conditioning so that you can work hard and efficient during each training sessions. For a professional massage therapy in Oshawa, call us at  (905) 579-9938.