The benefits of remedial massage for athletic performance
Whether you’re competing at a local, state, national or international level, being an athlete takes hard work and dedication, both mentally and physically. Focusing on health, fitness and regular training will improve your performance, but did you know that remedial massage can help athletes too? Remedial massage should be scheduled into every athlete's training regime - here’s why:
Image: Kundai with Peter Bol, Commonwealth Games Medallist
It can prevent injuries
Training hard can lead to tight muscles and tight muscles can lead to sports injuries like tears and joint inflammation. Even if you train regularly or are a professional athlete, delayed onset muscle soreness is common. To combat this, remedial massage can be used to stimulate lymph flow and reduce lactic acid buildup allowing your body to recover faster from training and perform at its peak (1).
It can enhance performance
Reducing muscle tightness means you can train longer, harder and with more intensity. Because remedial massage can improve your circulation (2), your recovery time is reduced so you can get back to training quickly. Researchers at McMaster University reported that deep-tissue massage increased the size and number of new mitochondria more than exercising without massage. This in turn increases the rate at that muscles utilise oxygen. And as an athlete, oxygen intake is incredibly important for performance. But, results don’t happen overnight. Regular massages are the key to getting the most out of remedial massage.
It can improve your sleep
Sleep is probably the most important thing to keep your body healthy and your sports performance optimal. Because athletes train hard, it’s important they get proper rest to allow their muscles to heal. Regular massages can significantly reduce stress and anxiety by reducing cortisol (stress hormone ) and by releasing endorphins (3). This makes going to sleep easier and will give you better sleep quality.
Remedial massage can also help athletes psychologically. You can’t perform at your best if you’re stressed and anxious. Studies have revealed that sports massage therapy promotes a reduction in stress and anxiety (4) and improves your focus so you’re ready for your next event.
How often should athletes have massages?
This all depends on how often you are training and what level of competition you are training for. Some athletes would swear by a daily massage! But, we know that isn’t always doable. Generally, we recommend coming in on a weekly or fortnightly basis.
Book a remedial massage in Perth today!
If you are an athlete, consider adding remedial massage into your training regime. Get in touch with our remedial massage Perth team and have a chat with us about how we can help you heal.
-
1) Cash, M. (1996). Sport & Remedial Massage Therapy. United Kingdom: Ebury Press.
2) Jada Bell, Massage therapy helps to increase range of motion, decrease pain and assist in healing a client with low back pain and sciatica symptoms. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, Volume 12, Issue 3, 2008, Pages 281-289, ISSN 1360-8592, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2008.01.006.
3) Field T, Hernandez-Reif M, Diego M, Schanberg S, Kuhn C. Cortisol decreases and serotonin and dopamine increase following massage therapy. Int J Neurosci. 2005 Oct;115(10):1397-413. doi: 10.1080/00207450590956459. PMID: 16162447.
4) Moyer CA. Affective massage therapy. Int J Ther Massage Bodywork. 2008 Dec 15;1(2):3-5. PMID: 21589715; PMCID: PMC3091449.
5) Davis HL, Alabed S, Chico TJA Effect of sports massage on performance and recovery: a systematic review and meta-analysis BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine 2020;6:e000614. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2019-000614
Massage & Myotherapy Australia (Sports Massage), International Journal of General Medicine (The Effectiveness of Massage Therapy A Summary of Evidence-Based Research), Federation of Holistic Therapists (Swedish massage), National Institutes of Health National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (Massage Therapy for Health), Australian Institute of Fitness (Sports Massage Benefits For Professional Athletes)