Exercise and Sport Massage
Many studies have been done regarding the effect of sport massage on athletes. Most of these studies have had conflicting results. One study comparing professional athletes and controls showed no significant differences in the soreness of muscles between groups. Another study that compared professional athletes to controls found a significant 수원출장안마 improvement in muscle pain for athletes who received massage. However there was no signifi cant improvement in the condition of athletes who did not receive massage. Another study comparing active athletes with nonathletes revealed similar results to the previous studies.
There are no definitive studies showing that sports massage actually benefits athletic performance, however, a number of studies suggest that it may aid in reducing the time to recover for athletes. Researchers found that athletes who were engaged in high-intensity training had a lower chance of recovering from massage therapy. Another study found that athletes who had to follow a maximum workload protocol did significantly better than those who were given a Sports massage. In yet another study therapists who performed sports massage had a noticeable improvement in physical performance of overweight adolescent women.
A study comparing the production of lactic acids in control and injured groups found no differences. Researchers concluded that the effect of massage could depend on the individual that it is being administered to. Researchers found that lactic acid were produced at a higher amount in the group that was not being massaged than in the exercise group, and remained fairly low after the massage. However, lactic acid production was found to be higher in the injured group during exercise, and continued to rise following the exercise. The possible reason to this observation is that the elevated lactic acid production could reduce the threshold for pain of injured patients and result in greater perceived effort during exercise.
There are a myriad of theories on how massage therapy can improve performance in athletics. A faster recovery for athletes after injuries is possible, according to experts in physiology. This theory also suggests that athletes can gain strength in their shoulders and arms by stretching their superficial muscles. Another theory suggests that muscles that are shorter and tighter in the lower body help shorten the recovery time for athletes who perform vigorous sports during competition. A strong abdominal muscle core can prevent spasms and cramps that can occur in athletes when they are engaged in strenuous activities.
Aside from the stretching and strengthening of muscles, massage could also improve the flexibility of athletes. Stretching muscles can help them become more flexible and willing to move and train. When athletes train their muscles get tighter and restrict their movement. To ease muscle pain, athletes need to exercise to stretch tight muscles. Massage can help with this.
Studies have shown that during times of exercise that are intense or intense the athletes experience a significant increase in the release of cortisol, a stress hormone that signals physical stress. And studies show that this increased cortisol release leads to increased muscular strength and endurance during periods of moderate intensity exercise. In the study endurance performance was evaluated prior to and after athletes completed 30 sprints. During the sprints, muscle twitch activation was measured, and the results showed an increase in muscle strength after the sprints.
The presence of muscle glycogen in muscles increases muscle strength. Glycogen is the source of energy that is found in muscles following intense workouts. When an athlete's body goes through a period of intense physical exercise it releases large amounts of glycogen in order to replenish energy lost during the sprints. Researchers from the University of Northumbria published a study that revealed that short sprints prior to racing resulted in significant increase in the amount of glycogen levels in muscles.
The results of these studies suggest that massage therapy can be beneficial to athletes when they are exercising and after it. However, it is important to keep in mind that all of these studies have been conducted on healthy, non-athletes. Before you start any treatment, talk to your physician if you have conditions that influence circulation, such as kidney disease, diabetes or high blood pressure or any other ailments.