 "Athletes who use massage as an integral part of their training program enhance their ability to take their sport to the next level." Relax... and Grow Strong
Sports Massage Is More than Indulgence—It Ignites Muscle Growth and Improves Performance
By Juli Ames-Curtis, Nationally Certified Massage Therapist and Yoga Instructor
To some, a massage is the ultimate indulgence. A special treat to help you relax and escape the stress of everyday life.
To an athlete, massage is much, much more. Athletes who use massage as an integral part of their training program enhance their ability to take their sport to the next level. Regular sessions—not just waiting until the muscles are sore and/or injured—improve performance, speed recovery, and cut down the risk for muscle injuries.
Indulgence? I don't think so... Massage is just as much about improved performance and increased muscle gains!
As a massage therapist and former cross country ski racer, runner, and triathlete, I know firsthand the benefit of massage when training and competing. But you don't have to be competitive in your sport to reap the benefits of regular and consistent massage therapy sessions.
 Ouch! Taming Training-Induced Muscle Soreness
If you're involved in weight training and sports, you've probably enjoyed your fair share of muscle soreness. It's just part of the game. This soreness comes in two stages—while you're training or participating in your sport and again 24 to 72 hours after your activity (called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness for obvious reasons).
Immediate muscle soreness is due to a buildup of metabolic byproducts such as lactic acid and a lack of sufficient oxygen (ischemia). There are more theories on why we develop delayed muscle soreness, including:
Muscle Damage. Microscopic tears occur in the muscle fibers as a result of repetitive contractions. This causes pain and leads to inflammation, which creates more pain.
Damage to the Connective Tissue. Microscopic tears occur in the connective tissue as a result of eccentric contractions. Eccentric contractions (also called negative work) occur when the muscle lengthens rather than shortens as when lowering weights.
Ischemia/Spasm Cycle. The lack of oxygen and buildup of metabolic byproducts causes pain, which causes the muscle to spasm. This spasm further reduces the oxygen available, increases the metabolic byproducts, and the cycle continues.
Muscles soreness is most likely to occur when you perform an activity beyond what your body is accustomed to, such as when you increase your weight limit or repetitively use the same muscle for extended periods; when your activity is jerky or bouncy or when you eccentrically contract your muscles as in a normal weight-lifting session.
While painkillers have their place for short-term discomfort, many times they do nothing more than suppress the symptoms. And as recent research has shown, non-steriodal anti-inflammatories [NSAIDS] can actually even inhibit muscle growth.
Along with my major injuries, I was plagued with chronic pain, which I believed at the time was "normal" for an athlete to have. It turns out, many athletes carry aches and pains for a very long time, thinking of them as a "normal" function of their sport. Unfortunately, although we as athletes push our bodies to the limit, we often find it's difficult to read our own bodies when it comes to detecting distress signals. When we ignore our bodies' signals over the long haul (i.e., chronic pain and discomfort), overtraining and injury become commonplace. But as I later discovered, it is not normal or necessary for your muscles to be in pain constantly.
Getting In Touch with Your Own Body
Regular professionally administered sports massage can help put you in touch with your own body. You will learn how your body feels when not stressed, thus creating a greater awareness of the warning signals before you get injured. Such information about the condition of your muscles and the effects of training is invaluable not only for avoiding injuries and trauma but for achieving optimal results.
 Regular massage reduces the possibility of injury and recurring pain and chronic stiffness, while enhancing the body's ability to heal faster, leading to greater fitness, improved muscle growth, and increased strength. It's true. Regular massage reduces the possibility of injury and recurring pain and chronic stiffness, while enhancing the body's ability to heal faster, leading to greater fitness, improved muscle growth, and increased strength.
Currently, it is thought that sports massage can aid sports performance in the following ways:
- Reduce the chance of injury
- Improve range of motion and muscle flexibility
- Increase power and performance
- Shorten recovery time
- Maximize the supply of nutrients and oxygen through increased blood flow
- Enhance elimination of metabolic by-products (hydrogen ions and lactic acid) of exercise
- Loosen adhesions in soft tissue
- Break down scar tissue into smaller pieces to enable it to be absorbed into the lymph system
- Prevent scar tissue from occurring
Think these benefits will help you build a bigger, stronger, healthier body? Without a doubt!
Tension vs. Recovery
Along with physical stress, athletes deal with psychological and emotional stress. As a serious weight trainer, you know your training can demand a lot of your time and energy. It may even take time and energy away from others in your life (spouse, partner, family)—especially if you compete in a sport. This psychological stress can add to the stress on your muscles, even those not directly related to your sport. For most of us, this stress builds up in the muscles of the neck, shoulders, and upper back called the "tension triangle."
If your body is under constant tension, it has a hard time recovering. Recovery is needed for building strength and endurance in your muscles. Massage therapy can play an important role in facilitating recovery. On a physical level, massage improves circulation of the blood and lymph fluids by up to 20%. The waste products (such as lactic acid) are carried through the new fluid supply and, in turn, oxygen and nutrients are brought in for the muscle to heal faster. Lactic acid, one of the waste products created during physical activity, often creates muscle soreness. Massage helps break down lactic acid and other waste products to keep your muscles in good condition, so they can function at maximum efficiency.
It's a no-brainer. When your muscles are healthy, you can train without discomfort and therefore train more efficiently for greater gains in the gym.
Finding a Match
So massage therapy sounds like it may be worth a try, right?
But when is the best time for a massage?
How often should you get a massage?
Does massage hurt? Should massage hurt?
How long after a massage should you wait to train again?
What type of massage is best?
Where do I find a good massage therapist?
I started getting weekly massages back in the mid-1980's. This was before a lot of research was out on the benefits of sports massage. It was during those years my desire to be a massage therapist was born.
I always had my massage the day of a hard workout (like intervals or heavy weight training). The next day I would train lightly. Little did I know this would later become the recommended sequence for getting the most of out sports massage.
It is best to get your first massage when you're training normally—not when you're changing your training program. This will enable you to establish your own personal recovery time after your massage session. It's best to monitor your body's responses and make notes of how you feel. How does your training feel after? Are your muscles achy after your massage? Did you drink enough water to help the increased circulation clear out the waste products? How did you sleep after your massage? Share your findings with your therapist, so the two of you can work out a treatment schedule unique to your situation.
Once you know your body's response to massage, a good time for a treatment is one to six hours after strenuous exercise, hard training, or competition. It takes the body about one hour to return to homeostasis (that is, normal temperature, cardiovascular, and respiratory functions) and six hours before muscle sensitivity and stiffness set in. As a general rule, have a deep massage no closer than three days prior to an event. However, a light, vigorous pre-event massage is sometimes very helpful. A deep massage may induce a high level of relaxation and have an influence on when your next hard workout is.
 "The hardest massage should be after the hardest training session, targeting the muscle groups used." Don't reserve massage therapy for only those times when your muscles are sore. Massages work best for the athlete who weaves them into his/her training program. This allows both the athlete and massage therapist to know how the muscles will respond over time to massage. The hardest massage should be after the hardest training session, targeting the muscle groups used. If you have the means to get more than one massage per week, a lighter, shorter massage can be incorporated into your program. This massage can focus in on those muscles needing more attention.
Maintenance massage is usually less "painful" than injury-specific massage. At no time during the massage, though, should you go beyond your threshold of discomfort. If you are in extreme pain during a massage, your muscle will go into the ischemia/spasm cycle (refer to above), and the massage will be of no benefit. A good sports massage therapist will encourage a dialog with you to assure the correct pressure is given.
Each type of sport has different demands on the athlete. Each sport uses muscle groups in a different way. Sports massage is designed to address those specific concerns and needs according to the sports the athlete is involved in. Sports massage can be aimed at helping heal muscles and allowing healthy ones to reach peak performance and maintain it while minimizing the risk of injury.
Finding a good sports massage therapist may take some time and trials, depending on where you live and the availability of trained therapists. The best way to find a massage therapist is with recommendations from other athletes. Keep in mind, though, that what works for one person may not work for you.
Find out the credentials of the massage therapist: have they had sports-specific massage training; have they worked with athletes in your discipline; are they a member of a professional organization; do they take continuing educational courses; are they insured? Some schools do not cover sports massage specifically. Sometimes it helps if the therapist is also an athlete. It doesn't have to be your discipline, just knowing the psyche of the athlete is valuable. I feel my years as an athlete have enabled me to respond to my athletic clients on a deeper level.
Explore what works for you and enjoy your massage! Let it be a wonderful retreat from the stress of everyday and working out. AND know that it will help keep your body in top condition.
So just relax... and grow strong!
About the Author
Juli Ames-Curtis, owner of Mountain Sage Massage and Yoga, is a Licensed Massage Therapist in Custer, SD, with over eight years of experience. During her 14-year competitive XC skiing, triathlon, and running career, weight training and massage were integral components of her training regime. She is soon moving to Estes Park, CO, where she hopes to ignite her XC skiing muscles once again!
For a list of references, please email Editors@realsolutionsmag.com.
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