Speeding Recovery Through Sports Massage

By Michelle Shoup OTR/L,LMT,Advanced MFR Practicioner

Speeding the recovery process means that you are able to handle more training volume in less time. Athletes look for any and all ways to make this happen, and sports massage is a valuable addition to the recovery tool box.

Muscle soreness, tightness and fatigue become all too familiar to athletes as training volume increases. Each time we push the body to new stress levels during a workout, minute tears occur in the muscle fibers. There is alsoadepletion of nutrients and restrictions in the muscle fascia. The result:we feel pain.

Post-workoutmuscle soreness is due to trauma to the membrane surrounding the muscle cells and damage to the connective tissue (fascia) supporting the muscles. During a workout,muscles perform continuous forceful contraction of the muscle fibers. Movements require eccentric contractions (lengthening) and concentric contractions (shortening). For these to occur, the body must carry the proper nutrients and enzymes in the bloodstream to the working muscles. These are used to create the energy for these contractions and for the removal of waste products.

Forceful concentric and eccentric muscle contractions require high metabolic cost, resulting in depletion of the muscle energy stores (ATP, glycogen, calcium, etc). This, in turn, leads to a breakdown in muscle protein and shearing of muscle fibers. Post-workout, the overloaded muscles remain damaged and tense. The body then sends biochemical messengers which signal pain. The body responds to the tissue damage and soreness with acute inflammation; this in turn signalsthe immune system to stimulate healing and recovery. The immune system sends cells to remove muscle debris and bring in the proper nutrients for cellular restoration.

This muscles tension further compromises the metabolic processes in the skeletal and cardiovascular systems. Hypertonic(tight)muscles lose flexibility and range of motion(ROM), increasing peripheral vascular resistance. Muscles that remain tight and shortened over time can lead to imbalances, injury, and slow recovery. During intense training, the fascia, or 3-D web of connective tissue that holds the muscle fibers together, becomes restricted and hardens from repetitive use. This further compromises flexibility and the shock absorption ability of the body, and decreases quality and efficiency of movement.

Sport massage therapy and myofascial release, along with stretching, are great methods to reduce muscle soreness, speed recovery, and optimize performance through…

· Relaxing and lengthening muscle fibers to restore ROM

· Realigning scar tissue fibers for proper healing

· Decreasing tension on arteries and nerves to lessen pain signals and to bring in nourishment to the muscle tissue and cells

· Rid the body of fascial restrictions to restore posture, balance, and fluidity to the tissue for homeostasis

· Decreasing peripheral vascular resistance to lessen the workload of the cardiovascular system which can further relaxation and improve sleep quality

· Accelerating venous blood flow and lymphatic fluid to enhance the immune system and reduce inflammation

· Nurture and relax the athlete which sends chemical messengers through the body that strengthen the immune system and create a sense of well-being

Sports massage is an effective recovery technique to speed the body's natural healing processes. It is important to work with and communicate with your massage therapist to be most effectively treated and is best performed within 48 hours after a stressful workout.