The Winter Olympics ended earlier this year in Vancouver, and one thing that prevailed in the games, in addition to the excellent performances of the best athletes in the world, was the masseurs, and a lot of them. And this prevalence of sports coaches and professional therapists was not unique to this year’s Games. In fact, a study in The British Journal of Sports Medicine showed that 45 percent of the treatment athletes receive at major sporting events, international and national, comes in the form of sports massage therapy.

The reason for this abundance of sports therapy is clear. In the journal Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise, an article published in 2008 demonstrated the great benefit of sports therapy for athletes, and the therapy is attributed to reduced levels of swelling and increased levels of muscle strength after periods of strenuous exercise. In the same study, sports therapy was also shown to decrease the amount of energy the body must expend to heal damaged muscle groups.

What does this all mean?

It means that the best professional athletes in the world will continue to use massage therapy in the highest level competitions, which means that athletes of all levels may want to consider therapy to help themselves and their teams in training and competitions. .

What specifically can massage do for athletes?

– You can enhance your workout, with therapy that relieves muscle pain and possible injury during exhausting days. Therapy can also keep muscles flexible and healthy during lighter days or periods of training.

– It can improve performance. Sports massage before competitions can energize muscles and aid in stretching and warm-up exercises. It can also help limit the amount of pain and potential injury after grueling events.

– It can improve health. The therapy has been shown to improve the body’s circulation, essential for eliminating metabolic wastes, but also important for maintaining a healthy immune system.

Massage therapy has benefits for athletes of all sports. Whether it’s basketball, hockey, lacrosse, swimming, running, biking, soccer, golf, basketball, soccer, tennis, or any of the many other athletic activities out there, sports therapy can be a great way to ensure the best possible health and condition of athletes, during training and in competitions. There is a reason that almost half of all professional therapists practice sports therapy, and why almost half of all treatment given to athletes in major international competitions is in the form of sports therapy. Quite simply: it works.