Sports massage enhances performance and prevents injury by targeting areas of imbalance in the musculoskeletal system. It is an integral part of training and recovery programmes for athletes.
It increases flexibility, which in turn allows you to exert greater force and power while exercising. It also reduces muscle tightness and promotes relaxation.
Deep Tissue Massage
A deep tissue massage is a type of massage that targets deeper muscle layers. It uses slower massage strokes and greater pressure to break up knots. It also incorporates other techniques like skin rolling, kneading, and cross-handed massage to release fascia, the connective tissue that covers muscles and organs.
Fascia is often restricted by tight muscles, resulting in pain and creating hard lumps known as trigger points. These trigger points are referred pain, meaning they cause discomfort in another area of the body. This is a common problem for athletes who frequently train or compete in high-impact sports.
A regular sports massage can help prevent these knots and improve athletic performance. It can also reduce injuries and aid recovery after training or competition. It is important to follow a healthy lifestyle and get plenty of rest to help your body recover. It is also a good idea to drink plenty of water to support healthy circulation and aid the removal of waste products from the muscles, including lactic acid.
Trigger Point Therapy
Each muscle is made of bundles of muscle fibers that are encased in a thin layer of connective tissue called fascia. This tissue runs through and around all the muscles in your body. When tight, it creates what are known as trigger points or contraction knots. They restrict blood flow, which causes pain. The pain can also be felt in other places of the body, a phenomenon known as referred pain.
The trigger points can be found and released with massage techniques including myofascial release. A therapist can find the knots by feeling for them or using a palpation tool. They can apply a sustained pressure on the trigger point for 4 to 8 seconds and then release it. They may repeat this process 3 to 6 times.
Regular sports massage can help to prevent injury by increasing the blood and lymphatic circulation allowing the oxygen and nutrients needed for recovery to get where they need to go. Massage can also reduce the build-up of metabolic waste in muscles that can lead to muscle tightness and inflammation.
Compression
A sports massage involves deep pressure applied to specific points in the body. This direct pressure helps to release tension and breaks down muscle knots by pre-event sports massage promoting tissue movement. Techniques such as friction techniques also break down adhesions (areas where muscles or connective tissue have become stuck together). This helps to alleviate pain and restore normal muscle function.
One physiological effect of sports massage is increased venous return, which means that the pressure exerted by the hands on the soft tissues pushes blood through the vessels. This increase in venous return reduces the build-up of waste products and improves oxygen delivery to the tissues.
As a result of these effects, sports massages can reduce injury risk, aid in rehabilitation and enhance performance. Regular sports massage is recommended for athletes of all levels to maintain peak athletic performance and help them enjoy a long career in their chosen sport.
Stretching
Sports massages use a variety of techniques to relieve pain and discomfort from chronic muscle knots. These include the use of direct pressure to break down adhesions in the muscle tissues and to encourage normal movement patterns. This can be mildly uncomfortable but it’s necessary to relieve chronic tension.
Another physiological effect of a sports massage is increased venous return which increases the speed of blood flow back to the heart. This can help reduce venostasis (the risk of blood clots in the veins) and edema.
In addition, sports massage helps reduce the buildup of metabolic waste products caused by intense exercise. It can also improve balance and flexibility in the musculoskeletal system, which can help prevent injuries. This is especially important for runners, as tight muscles are more at risk of injury than long, flexible muscles. Having more flexible muscles also helps the body recover more quickly from workouts or gym classes.
