Massage for athletes is not a new phenomenon or a marketing gimmick. Massages have been a trusted regimen of athletic performance and recovery since as early as 776 BC, where ancient Olympic athletes received regular massage to help them be stronger, faster, more agile, and more resilient.
Now, we have a clear understanding of the real benefits of massage for athletes. Numerous studies have pulled back the curtain on what ancient practitioners have known all along, and there are a host of reasons to make athletic massage a part of your routine.
Massage for athletes before and after physical activity helps to loosen tense, tight muscles and joints, improving flexibility and range of motion. Intense sports training can cause significant adhesions, scarring, and stiffness where the fascia, muscles, and other tissues meet, leaving athletes vulnerable to injury. Massage remediates scarring and stiffness, flushing out injury-magnets and making athletes loose and ready for high-impact activities.
Post-workout pain from DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) and overexertion can stretch out the time needed for muscle recovery between intense workouts. Massage improves circulation, sending oxygen and substantive healing nutrients to areas of soreness, which ameliorates pain quicker and helps athletes spring back into action with ease. One particular study showed that after a sports massage, athletes felt like they were less fatigued and recovered faster.
Use a massage gun to oxygenate the blood, which delivers healing nutrients to areas of soreness
A number of studies have produced dramatic results highlighting the efficacy of massage for better sleep. And while the average human needs approximately seven to nine hours of sleep to be fully functional throughout the day, athletes in training need an average of an additional hour of sleep per night to reach peak functionality. Sleep is one of the more important facets of athletic performance, and regular massage helps athletes to get both more and more restful sleep.
During a massage, something called vasodilation happens. This is when blood vessels begin to dilate and blood pressure lowers, which allows blood to flow quicker and more freely throughout the body. This is especially important for athletes because this ramp-up of blood flow allows more nutrients to reach muscles, which aids them in being strong and healthy. After intense workouts, muscles incur micro-injuries that create soreness, and better circulation helps essential healing mechanisms reach hotspots. Perhaps equally importantly, better circulation allows the body to expel metabolic waste, excess fluids, and fatigue substances that build up in muscles after training or injury.
Practice proper hydration and post-workout stretching or yoga to speed up recovery
Athletes training in a particular sport have a tendency to damage one or a few areas in their body because of over conditioning and repetitive motion. After training and game days, joints and tendons become tight and hard, but massage works to loosen and lubricate joints and tissues, which allows for better recovery, flexibility, and better overall functionality of the muscles. Full range of motion is especially important for athletes, and a number of studies have shown that regular massage can have outstanding effects on one’s range of motion.
Athletes training in a particular sport have a tendency to damage one or a few areas in their body because of over conditioning and repetitive motion. After training and game days, joints and tendons become tight and hard, but massage works to loosen and lubricate joints and tissues, which allows for better recovery, flexibility, and better overall functionality of the muscles. Full range of motion is especially important for athletes, and a number of studies have shown that regular massage can have outstanding effects on one’s range of motion.
If you’ve ever had a deep tissue massage, you’ll note that they aren’t always relaxing, and sometimes, they’re even a bit painful. But it’s what’s going on inside that counts. Targeted massage breaks down invaders that occur after strenuous workouts and injury that create pain, helping to flush out inflammation and heal small injuries very quickly. When muscles are tight and tense, they hurt, and massage also helps muscles sink and relax back into the positions where they function properly and feel good.
The best type of massage for athletes is one that you can bring with you — anywhere you go.
Handheld percussive massagers transform the way you play and recover. Don’t leave the Ekrin B37 out of your pre and post-workout routine.
Written by Morgan Sliff
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