You might think the best way to achieve fitness is through exercise. However, post-exercise recovery is also an important aspect to overall fitness. Athletes can take positive action after exercising, whether resting, taking an ice bath, or seeing a physical therapist, to ensure they are in the best shape to continue their workout routine the following day,
Sports massage is another post-exercise recovery tool that can be used to boost fitness levels. You may be surprised by this, as many people think of massage as nothing more than a relaxation technique, but sports massage in particular has several fitness benefits. Read on to learn more about it.
What is sports massage?
According to the Mayo Clinic, sports massage is based on the gentle form of massage known as Swedish massage, which uses a variety of techniques to achieve relaxation. However, unlike Swedish massage, sports massage is customized for athletes in order to treat and prevent injuries. When receiving a sports massage, as when receiving a Swedish massage, you might experience the massage therapist using long stroking motions, deep circular pressure, vibration, or taps.
Dr. Terence Vanderheiden, a sports medicine specialist, notes that what sets sports massage apart from other types of massage is that it treats the particular muscles used in particular sports. He explains that sports massage not only helps with recovery but also promotes safe body movement. For this reason, any athlete, amateur or professional, can benefit from sports massage.
Physical benefits of sports massage
A group of researchers from The Ohio State University Division of Sports Medicine reviewed previous studies of sports massage to determine its physical benefits. One benefit they found in these studies was a reduction in delayed onset muscle soreness, also known as DOMS. They also found that the studies showed that when an athlete had performed repetitive muscle contractions, sports massage improved recovery.
Another researcher, this one from the University of Colorado at Denver, also reviewed previous research studies of sports massage. Like the researchers at The Ohio State University, he also found that studies showed a reduction in DOMS is a benefit of sports massage. Furthermore, he found the previous studies revealed that the ability of tissue to heal after sports massage looked promising.
Researchers at Sheffield University in the UK also undertook a review of previous studies of sports massage. They found, like the researchers at The Ohio State University and the University of Colorado at Denver, that the studies they reviewed showed sports massage reduced DOMS. Additionally, they found that the studies showed sports massage had positive effects on flexibility.
Emotional benefits of sports massage
In addition to physical benefits, sports massage also offers emotional benefits. One researcher affiliated with both the German Sports University and Dresden International University conducted an experiment that involved 168 athletes who received sports massages after exercise. He evaluated the athletes’ emotional states before and after the massages and noted that the sports massages resulted in improved emotional states. This positive effect was not influenced by such variables as wait time for the massage, the age of the athlete, the sex of the person giving the massage, or the length of the exercise period prior to the massage.
Similar findings resulted from a research study by a group of scientists from China and Taiwan. This study involved college students who engaged in exercise followed by sports massage. The researchers found that exercise alone had several physical and emotional benefits, but when sports massage was added, the participants reported greater self-confidence along with some increased physical benefits, as well.
Interestingly, sports massage might not only be emotionally beneficial after exercise. Some say sports massage can benefit an athlete’s emotions before competitions, as well. In an article published by the American Massage Therapy Association, one licensed massage therapist noted that just as massage in general has been found through research to help reduce stress and anxiety, sports massage prior to a race, game, or other athletic competition can help soothe an athlete’s nerves. Because nervous energy is often expressed in physical ways, such as through a tight jaw, shallow breaths, or the like, a sports massage therapist can address those physical symptoms to provide relief.
Potential risks of sports massage
Although physical and emotional benefits are associated with sports massage, massage in general can be risky for certain people. The Mayo Clinic points out that massage can be dangerous for those who have bleeding disorders, take blood thinners, have an extremely low platelet count, have suffered from deep vein thrombosis, have active infections, have burns or wounds that are healing, have any broken bones, or have osteoporosis. Be sure to check with your doctor before having a massage, whether a sports massage or any other kind, if you think any of these conditions might apply to you.