Should I Get A Sports Massage Before My Race?
By Gold Coast Physio & Sports Health Senior Remedial Massage Therapist, Frederic Impens
You’ve invested time, heart, soul and energy into your training. You’ve invested in top coaching and dedicated all your spare time to your training program. You maintain your bike, running gear, kayak or ski in top quality- but are you maintaining your muscles and joints for optimum results?
A regular sports massage can help the Athlete’s body recover from the pains and aches of a lengthy training session. It can improve blood supply and flexibility. Whether opting for a Sports massage before or after a workout or race, you will feel the benefits of a sports massage, beating injuries by returning to a pre-exercise bodily state.
Each person is very individual with their massage needs. What is constant for most athletes is that you would want to avoid having a deep tissue massage in the immediate 1-2 days before a big race unless your body is adapted to this. You would not want to have a deep tissue massage if the goal is to feel good the next day. A deep tissue massage will feel like you’ve just lifted weights or gone for a hard run in the following days after if you are not used to it. Expect about 2 days to recover. After you’ve recovered you’ll start feeling the performance benefits. If you do insist on getting a massage the day before a race, make sure it is a light massage just to make those muscles supple.
So When Is The Best Time For A Pre-Race Massage?
Go for a deep tissue massage five to six days before your event if you body is used to getting regular massages (or even as minimal as 2). This gives ample time to get over the legginess (heavy legs after a massage) that is typically experienced after a deep tissue treatment. If you get one any closer to your race, make it a light, relaxing flush-out massage with a therapist experienced in treating athletes.This promotes recovery by flushing the toxins into the lymphatic system , new oxygenated blood can circulate and makes your body ready to race and win.
And don’t forget a Recovery Massage ideally within the first 24hrs post-race to help remove waste products and relieve area’s of muscle tension.
Frederic has been a Remedial Massage Therapist for more than 15 years and has an extensive experience treating many Australian and International top athletes. For an appointment with any of our experienced Massage Therapists, phone 07 5500 6470 or book online
