Whether you are a professional athlete or an amateur trying to improve your conditioning and performance, you should ideally include deep tissue massage as part of your weekly training schedule as a preventative precaution before leaving it too late and employing it as an injury recovery.

Massage Before the Event

A pre-event massage is usually only 10 or 15 minutes long and is given on the day of the event. Sports psychology is vital during this time, and the therapist should be supportive and uplifting to the athlete while administering the massage as encouraging as the massage can be, telling athletes that their muscles feel fantastic and that they appear well prepared for competition. If athletes appear worried, the therapist can encourage them to chat in order to relieve their anxiety, but they should be discouraged from talking adversely about themselves or the competition. It is critical to understand the athletes. Athletes prepare for events in a variety of ways. Some people prefer to prepare for competition by sitting quietly; others have a lot of nervous energy and are talkative and energetic shortly before participating. The therapist should observe each athlete’s needs and not interfere with the preparation process.

The therapist wants the athlete to leave the massage table feeling happy and ready to compete, not drowsy or on the verge of falling asleep. The massage should move at a quick and engaging speed. The trainer wishes to warm the body’s superficial tissues while increasing blood flow to the deeper muscles. A smart method is gently stretching the muscles after running the joints through their range of motion to improve lubrication.

The general rule for pre-competition massage is that the closer the message is to the competition, the less invasive it should be. The therapist never wants to risk hurting or straining a muscle on an athlete just before a competition. Deep tissue massage or rigorous stretching of an athlete shortly before a competition is frequently too much for the body to take. Most pre-event massages use little oil or lubricant since it might block pores in the skin, making it difficult for the athlete to sweat.

The therapist wishes to target the muscles employed by the athlete in his or her sport.

The following techniques should be included in a pre-event massage:

• Friction generates heat, which warms the superficial tissue.
• Increased blood flow to the muscles by compression
• Tapotement for muscular stimulation
• Joint range of motion to improve or decrease stiffness
• Stretching gently to prepare muscles for the warm-up

The idea is for the athlete to leave the table feeling ready for the athletic competition. The purpose of pre-event massage is to stimulate and inspire the athlete.

Massage during competition

Sports massage can assist in swiftly recovering energy levels, balancing psycho-emotional states, avoiding damage, cramps, and spasms, and relieving pain in cases of micro-trauma or chronic difficulties during an event or competition. Massage sessions might last anywhere from 1 to 2 minutes to 15 to 20 minutes.

Post-Event Massage

Post-event massage is given shortly following the event or competition. Post-event massage reduces muscle pain and/or cramping and allows for a quicker return to training following an athletic event.

A post-event massage is intended to help athletes recover from their activity by flushing out lactic acid buildup, reducing post-exercise discomfort, and re-establishing the range of motion and blood flow to tight muscles. It can also provide a significant psychological boost to the athlete. Allow the athlete to chill down and rehydrate before to begin the massage. Conduct a brief interview to determine that he or she is logical and coherent. I like to inquire if the athlete is truly sore. I also ask the athlete if he or she is uncomfortable during the massage so that I can alter my technique; post-event massage should never be too unpleasant for the athlete.

For about 10 to 15 minutes, an on-site post-event massage is provided. A typical post-event leg routine would include compressive effleurage to relax the nervous system and push fluid; petrissage to relieve muscle tension; compression to disperse muscle fibers and restore blood flow; broadening strokes to stretch tight muscles, and compressive effleurage to soothe. Therapeutic stretching can be used after the massage to reduce muscle tension and restore range of motion.

During the massage, the therapist should look for cuts, scrapes, bruises, blisters, and moderate strains and sprains and report them to the medical staff.

During the massage, an athlete may have muscle cramping. I like to employ the reciprocal inhibition technique to ease cramping in a single muscle; however, cramping in more than one muscle group may be a sign of dehydration. To avoid a serious medical concern, get medical attention as soon as possible.

Athletes may feel light-headed and disoriented when they take their initial steps away from the massage table. Cramping can occur while the athlete’s muscles are reactivating.

A good post-event massage can help an athlete feel better right after a competition. Along with the psychological lift, it assists the athlete in recuperating faster. Most athletes look forward to seeing massage therapists at an event since they know they’ll get a well-deserved post-event massage.

Sports massage should be performed on a weekly basis following a competition to restore the athletes’ musculoskeletal system and thus begin to prepare them for any future contests and prevent damage.