How Massage Benefits Athletes

Why Massage?

Athletes need to function at their best every single day. When something is off — they risk injury that would make it likely they’ll lose or fail. Athletes and highly active people can’t afford to take time off for injuries, although at some point in their careers, they do. Recovery is often difficult, exhausting, and sometimes even painful therapy. That’s why health professionals often prescribe massage therapy as an important tool for recovery and more.

In fact, massage therapy continues to grow as a preventative tool for athletes. From actual sports massages to therapeutic spa treatments, research shows that massage has proven to have a positive effect on recovery. Research shows that massage increases blood flow and muscle temperature. It also affects neural excitability, hormonal levels, and parasympathetic activity. Massage also decreases anxiety and improves relaxation, which athletes need after challenging competitions and workouts.

While massage therapy can vary widely based on style and training, specialized therapies such as sports massage, or in the case of Thai Sport Bodyworks — the Thai Sport Massage are specifically designed for sports injuries, recovery, and performance. They can provide immediate relief of physical pain since a sports massage helps prevent muscle soreness. A sports massage can even prevent injury because it improves flexibility and it helps athletes reduce their chances of injury.

Massage Therapy is Worth the Time

There is a problem with massage therapy: it takes a long time to complete. In most cases, athletes need at least 45 minutes to one hour of therapy to make much of a difference. A busy athlete might think this is too much time to give to a passive treatment. But, the hour is worth every second of time when considering the benefits of massage. Optimal performance can only come from optimal care, and massage can be a key to success for athletes of all types.

Types of Massage and Strokes

There are several types of massage techniques that can help athletes. Most sports massages are forms of massage with various strokes. The best strokes are those like effleurage, which warms up the muscles and increases blood circulation and petrissage which is a deep pressure that kneads the muscles. Massage therapists will use the rhythmic percussive stroke of tapotement as well as friction and vibration.

The Thai Sport Massage combines the techniques of sport massage with Thai-inspired deep tissue compression and joint mobilization using acupressure and assisted stretching. This particular massage while using traditional Thai massage techniques pays no attention to the sens (or acupuncture) lines — instead has its own unique set of protocols that has made it the go-to therapy in San Diego.

WHen Should Athletes Go?

A common question athletes ask is when should I come in for my massage? Before or After an event? There are many answers depending upon the situation.

Go Before For Preparation

Massage can also help athletes become more attentive and have a better mood. These are useful tools for competition, as they become more aware of what is happening around them and they can react more quickly. Pre-workout massage can also reduce anxiety and improve performance. There are several other benefits to adding massage to pre-competition routines and to post-workout recovery. Massage provides physical and psychological benefits in a way that most other treatments do not.

The psychological benefits also help athletes get a competitive advantage without using any controversial drugs. Massage helps lower anxiety, enhance mood, and improve sleep quality. Adding those psychological benefits to the physical benefits, it is easy to see why so many athletes are turning to massage.

Important: Pre-event massage should be done at least four hours before the competition begins. Only the areas of the body that are used during competition should be massaged, as the massage serves as an in-lieu warm up. For example, a baseball player should have his shoulders massaged because this part of the body is so important for successful hitting.

Go AFTERwards FOR RECOVERY

When athletes use massage as a form of recovery, they need less time to recover between workouts or competitions. By massaging the muscles after workouts, the effects build up over time and the chances for injuries drop. Muscles return to a relaxed state quickly. But, massage is not just for post-workout treatments. It is a good tool to use as a warm-up, too. It can warm them up so they are less likely to be overworked or injured.

Research shows the physical benefits directly help athletes with reducing recovery time while rehabbing from an injury. Massage increases blood flow, which helps heal injuries through feeding injured parts of the body with oxygenated blood.

Consider the care that a fine race horse needs. If the owner expects the race horse to win, the owner must feed the race horse the best food and give it the best care. A neglected race horse will lose. Athletes need the same level of care. They need to eat nutritious food and have care that benefits their minds and bodies. Massage therapy is a perfect accompaniment to the traditional exercise routines that athletes undertake each day. 

IMPORTANT: Post-event massage should also be done within four hours after the end of the event or the workout. This time limit helps muscles with recovery and it prevents pain and discomfort after exercising.

A Few Lesser Known Benefits

IT CAN BUILD Pain Tolerance

Massage can help athletes with their pain tolerance. Oxford University researchers found that massage helps people better manage their pain. It also shows they decrease their likelihood of feeling anxious. Athletes are often anxious before they must compete or perform, so being able to better control unwanted anxiety is beneficial. But, massage therapy also helps with anxiety that affects their entire quality of life, too.

Helps Heart, Blood Pressure, and Inflammation

Athletes who use massage therapy have reduced heart rates and lower blood pressure which improves their performance by increasing endurance. They have less pain and tension in their muscles and their muscle elasticity improves through speedy healing of connective tissue. Massage therapy also reduces inflammation, which can lead to injury. Research shows that their cortisol levels become stable, so they can better use their adrenaline for an edge against the competition

IT Speeds Up Mitochondria Recovery

Reducing anxiety and increasing blood flow to muscles are just a few of the benefits of massage. Research shows that the therapy also helps muscles rebuild and grow mitochondria, which is the building block of the cells. Mitochondria turns cellular nutrients into energy, which helps improve athletic performance. The same studies show that more mitochondria helps the muscles better use oxygen, which improves athletic endurance.

IT Rapidly Boosts the Immune System

Researchers in Cedars-Sinai’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences have reported people who undergo massage experience measurable changes in their body’s immune and endocrine response. Including significant increases in lymphocytes (white blood cells) that play a large role in defending the body from disease. This causes a notable decrease in most cytokines produced by stimulated white blood cells. Further, it decreases the stress hormone — cortisol.

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About Dr. Wells

Dr. Brent Wells, D.C. founded Better Health Chiropractic & Physical Rehab and has been a chiropractor for over 20 years. His practice has treated thousands of patients from different health problems using services designed to help give long-lasting relief.