Sports Massage – Pre-Event
Copyright 2005 Richard Lane
Massage before an event can be an integral component of the
pre-event preparation for many athletes. Pre-event massage
can create a state of readiness in the muscles and tissues
so that the athlete’s performance can be optimized. Whilst
some therapists consider that a pre-event massage can take
place up to 48 hours before an event, most Sports Massage
therapists judge that, strictly speaking a pre-event
massage is one given just before the time an athlete is
scheduled to compete (ideally 15-45 minutes before the
event). This article will concentrate on massage
immediately prior to the event.
A question that is often posed is should the pre-event
massage happen before or after the athlete warms up. To
answer this one needs to understand the physiological
effects of a warm-up: to increase heart rate, body
temperature and respiratory rate; and to prepare the body’s
nervous system. Hence a pre-event massage done after the
warm-up would defeat it’s purpose and you would not want
the athlete’s heart rate, body temperature and respiratory
rate to drop during the massage.
In general a pre-event massage should assist in increasing
the circulation of blood to the muscles to allow the
muscles to be flushed and oxygenated. Tight muscles may be
relaxed so that joints can be moved through their range of
motion. Emphasis should be placed on the muscles used
during the activity so improve performance and also reduce
the chance of injuries. The athlete can use the time to
focus on their event, to relax or complete their mental
preparation. At the end of the massage, the athlete should
feel great!
More specifically before giving a pre-event massage, the
therapist should ask several key questions which relate
back to the article “Sports Massage – An Introduction”(1)
namely what techniques should be used and what is the
intent. These question include
- what type of event is the athlete competing in? Are
lightening quick reactions required as a pre-event massage
given too close to the event may dull reaction times?
- does the athlete’s sports permit the use of oils or
lotions during the pre-event massage?
- is the athlete required to be “loose” prior to the event
(eg boxing) or relaxed (bowling)?
The massage should generally be done at a moderate pace,
non-specific, relatively light, warming and short in
duration (no more than around 15-20 minutes). It certainly
does not have to be a complete routine. As with most
massage treatments, it is preferable to be conservative –
too little is better than too much. The massage must not
be painful or include high impact techniques such as deep
cross-fibre frictions or deep muscle therapy. The
techniques most commonly used are general Swedish
techniques (petrissage, vibration or percussion),
compression, jostling, broadening strokes and general
frictions.
It is important to note that no two individuals respond to
massage in quite the same way and this can present a
problem to the therapist seeing an athlete for the first
time for a pre-event massage or in the last couple of days
before an event. For example, two days before an event the
massage can be deep so that the athlete can obtain the
maximum recuperative benefit from the pre-event taper.
However the depth required to address specific problem
areas will vary considerably between athletes. An athlete
should see how they respond to a massage in the last 48
hours/pre-event at a competition (or simulated training
session) that is non-critical. So please don’t leave it
until the day before the City to Surf or your big event to
have your first massage!
(1) “Sports Massage – An Introduction”. Richard Lane.
www.innerwestmassage.com.au/sports_massage_introduction.php
Richard Lane is a qualified remedial and sports massage
therapist, with a mobile massage practice in Sydney's InnerWest.
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