Do you remember seeing an athlete named Derek Redmond in viral videos? Predicted to win an Olympic gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, during the 400-meter semi-final, Redmond tore his hamstring, and His father, Jim Redmond, came onto the track to help him finish the race, despite the rules prohibiting such assistance. Their moment became an iconic moment an inspiring and emotional one.
How many of you know that over 80% of athletes cite muscle discomfort as a main reason following hard workouts or events? The recovery from muscle strain is extremely important otherwise they might end up in poorer performance. When muscles are sore, they become rigid and less flexible, making it difficult to train smoothly and maintain a good performance.
This could possibly increase the probability of injury as well. So, preventing muscle pain is important because it helps players keep to their training regimens, and keeps them feeling their best during contests. Thus, appropriate recovery therapies, such as sports massage, play a considerable part in managing and decreasing muscular discomfort, helping athletes to recover quickly and continue to give their best performance. Read along the blog, How Sports Massage Helps Prevent Muscle Soreness in Athletes, to know how the therapy is a boon to athletes by the experts at Ayurheritage, the best Ayurvedic Sports Massage Therapy Dubai.
Muscle soreness can be divided into two main types
Acute and Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). Acute soreness can be defined as the discomfort you feel during or right after exercise. It happens because of the strain placed on your muscles, causing a burning sensation due to the buildup of lactic acid.
DOMS, on the other hand, shows up 24 to 48 hours after exercising, especially after trying a new activity or increasing the intensity of your workouts. A study in the Journal of Athletic Training found that athletes who received a post-exercise massage reported less soreness and quicker recovery.
Muscle soreness often occurs when you push your body harder than usual, do exercises you're not used to, or skip warm-ups and stretching. Poor hydration and improper form during exercises can also contribute to soreness.
Muscle soreness can limit an athlete’s ability to perform at their best. It can make movements feel stiff and uncomfortable, reducing flexibility and strength. This can force athletes to reduce the intensity of their workouts, skip training sessions, or even take longer to recover. Proper management of soreness is key to maintaining a consistent and effective training routine.
Sports massage is a subcategory of massage therapy and is done specifically for individuals involved in sports. It is used in instances where an athlete performs strenuous exercise, has an injury, or wants to enhance performance. Sports massage focuses on muscles that are utilized during sporting activities in contrast to normal massage which focuses on general relaxation.
The primary aims of sports massage are to relax muscles, increase flexibility, improve blood flow, and recover between competitions or training sessions. It is a standard practice in athletic training, which reduces muscular pain and other problems such as stiffness.
Athletes and sports people make use of sports massage which encompasses different techniques that can be adapted to the individual person. One of the most popular techniques including deep tissue involves working on the second layer of muscles to remove rigidity.
Trigger point therapy is a technique that focuses mainly on the soreness or muscles that are the origin of pain. Massage techniques are done with techniques that pressure muscles to increase the blood supply to that area of muscle tissues.
Stretching, and joint mobilization can be also cited as some examples of manual therapy for the purpose of increasing flexibility and range of motion. However, it must be noted that It all depends on the state of an athlete so each technique is selected to stimulate the athlete’s performance and ensure fast recovery.
Sports massage helps athletic individuals improve blood circulation, bringing more oxygen and nutrients to muscles. This greatly helps in blood flow and speeds up recovery, reducing muscle soreness and helping muscles repair faster.
Muscle tension is a common concern among athletes. Massage relaxes tight muscles by applying pressure and stretching techniques. This release of tension not only feels good but also prevents any soreness. It allows muscles to move freely and function better.
A regular sports massage keeps muscles flexible and joints mobile. Improved flexibility reduces the chances of muscle strain and soreness, making it easier for athletes to perform at their best during performances.
Lactic acid and other waste products build up in muscles after intense exercise. Sports Massage helps to flush out these toxins, reducing muscle stiffness and soreness, etc.
In conclusion, sports massage can be very helpful for athletes because it helps to avoid muscle soreness, improves their flexibility, and enhances their recovery. It enhances blood flow, lowers muscle stiffness, and helps get rid of toxins hence maintaining muscles in their prime state for performance.
Sports massage should ideally be done in a regimen to ensure that one is on the right track in terms of training schedules, incidences of injuries, and performance levels.
If you really want to take your sport to the next level, it is now high time that you consider incorporating Sports Massage Dubai by Ayurheriatge into your program for recovery. The muscles are very flexible parts in the body that should be adequately protected to offer the same in events such as field and track, court among other areas.