What comes to mind when you hear the term “sports massage”?
Maybe you picture an NFL player getting a massage before a game?
An Olympic sprinter receiving bodywork after a training session?
A professional hockey player incorporating massage as part of physical therapy after an injury?
Sports massage has been around since the Roman empire when gladiators received massage before and after training. It gained traction in the modern sports arena with the 1924 Olympics and is currently employed by trainers in college, amateur, and professional athletics. The term “sports massage” was coined in the late 1950s by Jack Meagher, a pioneer in massage therapy who was also a physical therapist who worked with NFL players and equestrian athletes.
Though benefits remain mostly anecdotal due to limited scientific research funding, sports massage has been shown to prevent injury and improve performance across all levels of athletes- from professional sports and Olympians to your regular sports enthusiast. That’s right, sports massage can help even the weekend mountain climber, mountain biker, snowboarder, cross-country runner, cyclist, kayaker, swimmer, and crossfit junkie achieve their fitness goals while preventing injury!
One scientific study on the effects of sports massage on athletic performance and general function was funded in 1999 by the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA). The Jack Meagher Institute was awarded a grant to scientifically determine if there was an increase in range of motion that correlates with changes in muscle tissue after the application of sports massage techniques. This study was performed on horses- the world’s largest athletes- who have the same type of muscles, muscle tendons and bones, and similar movement dynamics as humans. Once the collected data was analyzed, it showed an increase in stride length and a corresponding decrease in stride frequency after the application of sports massage techniques on the horses. These findings support the belief that sports massage is beneficial for athletic performance and general physical function.
So what makes sports massage different from Swedish or deep tissue massage? The techniques applied by the sports massage therapist- direct pressure, cross-fiber friction, gliding, and compression- are all techniques utilized in regular massage, but these are applied with great intention for a specific amount of time, at a specific depth, and in a specific area to affect positive change for the athlete in the moment. Modifications are made by the therapist depending on when an athlete is receiving the massage- pre-event, post-event, maintenance, or rehabilitation.
A pre-event sports massage targets specific muscle groups, lasts 10 to 15 minutes, and will only incorporate techniques that wake up the body, focus the mind, and get an athlete’s muscles just as loose as they want them for peak performance. A post-event or recovery massage may last between 10 and 60 minutes, depending on how soon after the event it takes place. It is intended to address delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS; which takes place between 24 and 48-hours after physical activity); reduce inflammation; promote muscle healing; and increase an athlete’s range of motion. Maintenance massage is used post-training and between events to help promote muscle recovery and prevent injury. Rehabilitation massage is applied as part of physical therapy after an injury to stimulate recovery and reduce the risk of re-injury.
Sports massage requires a certain self-awareness on the part of the athlete, and regular, open communication between the athlete and therapist regarding what kind of training has been done and when, which muscle groups need attention, and what the goal is of the session- to loosen up and recover, to address a specific are of pain or injury, or to prepare for an upcoming event. The therapist’s role is to know when to apply which massage techniques that will help an athlete achieve their performance goals, and limit the potential for injury (or support healing from an injury) to keep them in peak condition.
This applies to the weekend warriors too! Being able to communicate your current physical and mental state with your therapist is imperative to achieve your desired goals from each session, and in the long-run. And building a relationship with your massage therapist will make it easier to create an effective treatment plan customized just for you: to address pain and injury, increase your range of motion, prevent future injury, and improve your athletic performance- whether it’s on the mountain, in the water, on the trails, or on the road.
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References
Ji, Luting. “Understanding Therapy: Sports Massage,” 2013. http://plaza.ufl.edu/ltji/massage-types/sports.html. Accessed 5 December 2023.
McGillicuddy, LMT, NCTMB, Michael. “Three Key Principles of Sports Massage.” Massage Today, May 29, 2009. https://www.massagetoday.com/articles/10712/Three-Key-Principles-of-Sports-Massage. Accessed 8 December 2023.
Shryer, Donn.a “Go for the Gold: Sports massage techniques and strategies will vary depending on the athlete’s sport.” Massage Therapy Journal, Summer 2020, pp 28-34.
Shryer, Donna. “Game Plan,” Massage Therapy Journal, Fall 2020, pp 35-40.
Shryer, Donna. “Finish Strong.” Massage Therapy Journal, Winter 2020, pp 35-39.
The Bodywise Clinic. “Different Types of Sports Massage Explained,” 2023. https://www.thebodywiseclinic.ie/different-types-of-sports-massage-explained/#:~:text=Jack%20Meagher%20is%20acknowledged%20as,event%2C%20maintenance%2C%20and%20rehabilitation. Accessed 8 December 2023.
Wilson, Jo-Ann. “The Effects of Sports Massage on Athletic Performance and General Function.” Massage Therapy Journal, Summer 2002, pp 90-99.