- Athletes put their muscles through substantial strains during training.
- Health Nerdy discussed 10 reasons that sports massage is crucial for body health.
Athletes go through a lot of strenuous activity in their work, both in training and in during competitions. As a result, their body deals with a lot of soreness, and physical therapists make it possible for these professionals to get the soothing massage that they need. However, there are plenty of physiological and psychological benefits that come from therapeutic sports massages.
Recently, Health Nerdy reviewed ten big reasons that these sports massages are necessary and beneficial to athletes to have on a regular basis.
Top 10 Therapeutic Sports Massage Benefits
1. Reduces Muscle Stiffness or Soreness.
The main reason that any person gets a massage is to help relieve the tension found in the muscles. The muscles experience a buildup of lactic acid, and massage helps to disperse the acid. Other toxins are then released through sweat, which makes it easier for athletes to continue performing at their best.
2. Makes the Muscles more Flexible.
Even when an athlete doesn’t go through intense physical activity that their job requires, sports massages like Swedish massages and deep tissue massages improve flexibility in the muscles. Stiffness happens with excessive use of the muscles, perpetuated by the lack of soothing. If an athlete continues to use their muscles with the same level of activity, but doesn’t provide any way of relaxation, they’ll eventually cause stiff joints that could impede their future progress.
Just as much as these massages could remove soreness, they can prevent the athlete from experiencing substantial injuries. There are even individuals that prefer to get massages before their competitions begin to limber up and claim that a good massage is nearly as important as warming up their body beforehand.
3. Helps with Sleep Quality.
When the muscles are relaxed, many people tend to sleep better, due to the psychological effect that it can have. Athletes need to get more sleep to give their brain a recovery period as well, which can help them perform better at their next game or competition.
4. Improves Blood Circulation.
Along with relief from pain and stress, a sports massage is good for the body’s blood circulation, which makes it easier for athletes to manage their breathing. The body needs enough oxygen to maintain a good performance, and better blood circulation makes this possible. Furthermore, with improved blood circulation, the heart rate can rise without giving the athlete any trouble during the strenuous movements they use during activity.
5. Provides more Nutrients to the Tissues.
With the improvement in blood circulation, the blood vessels can easily move throughout the body. As the circulatory system runs through the various tissues in the body, this increased blood flow gives the muscles, joints, and other tissues the nutrients it needs with greater expediency.
It also releases the waste at a faster pace and offers the nourishment that keeps the body in movement.
6. Gets Rid of Knots in the Muscles
With muscle tension, athletes are more susceptible to knots, which are hard lumps that show up in the body. Athletes with frequent muscle use are most likely to be susceptible to this issue, as the muscles deal with toxins, lactic acid, and calcium that build up over time. Without addressing these issues, the body can go through different performance problems over time.
With an athletic massage, the knots can be loosened to improve the blood flow and prevent knots.
7. Breaks Down Scar Tissue.
Internal scar tissue is common for athletes, due to the way that these scars adhere to the muscles. The fibers in the muscle bunch together during an adhesion, which is what causes the scar tissue. With deep tissue massage, the athlete’s tissues are massaged in a way that break down scar tissue, preventing the need for surgery later on.
8. Helps Reduce Weight.
A good massage can cause the athlete to sweat, in some cases, which burns a lot of calories. Hard massages even have the power to break down body fat, as the body uses this stored fat for energy.
9. Tones up the Muscles.
Just like a massage is good for weight loss, it targets muscle fibers to tone them, resulting in more toned muscles. A toned body provides a competitive edge for athletes during competition.
10. Stimulates Nervous System.
With a massage, the body experiences a calming effect because it activates certain receptors in the nervous system. This relaxation helps athletes increase their body awareness, which is especially necessary before a marathon, competition, or game.
