This blog comes from Paul, one of our Sports Massage Therapists. You can use sports massage to supplement your training and recovery from the Great Bristol Run next weekend!
I’m sure we all agree that having a massage feels great but in this article we will be discussing the physiological, psychological and educational benefits of sports massage whilst comparing the most useful times to receive a massage.
Here are some of the most common questions asked around sports massage and its affect on running performance and recovery.
What benefits can I get from receiving a sports massage?
Massage increases blood flow to the area, reducing muscle tone (tightness/ tension) whilst aiding in the removal of metabolic waste products caused by training. A mixture of massage strokes and stretching can improve range of motion in a joint and increase muscle length. This can help if restrictions are limiting an efficient running technique. During a session it is very useful for any specific areas of restriction or tightness to be discovered and then be provided with the information of how to deal with these issues at home yourself using tools such as foam rollers and massage balls.
When is the best time to get a massage when building up to a race?
When training for a race it is beneficial to have several sessions spread out during this training period leading up to an event. This gives you the most time to make positive changes physiologically and get the most of your training period. It can be useful to have a session during your highest volume (distance) blocks of training as this is when your muscles and other soft tissues are most at risk from injury.
What about massage after an event?
So like a lot of performance based recovery tools (stretching, foam rollers, massage guns) there is varying opinion on the physiological benefits of massage straight after an event. However there is certainly evidence that post race massage positively influences someone’s perception of recovery and it most likely wont hinder recovery so if it is something being offered or has worked for you in the past then its still of benefit. might be more beneficial to schedule your session for 3-5 days after your race to benefit fully from a treatment.
Phycological effect of Massage
Apart from the physical effect of massage, just being able to ‘relax’ and enjoy the treatment will have phycological affect on your body. Just like stresses in everyday life increased training loads can increase stress hormone levels which affect sleep, metabolism the immune system, and concentration levels. All these things can have a negative effect on performance and life in general. Massage has been shown to aid in the reduction in stress hormones (cortisol). This might explain why people still feel like they have benefitted from post-race massage even if some studies show there is little physiological effect.
I hope this article has given you some idea of what Sports Massage does and if it would be of benefit to you and your training.
Sports Massage is one of the services available at the University’s Sports Medicine Clinic in addition to the physiotherapy and osteopathy team, all experienced at dealing with supporting runners of all abilities. To find out more visit the website.