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An athlete, before a performance, is under immense stress emotionally and physically and the body is also prone to injuries. Practices before the event lead to constant build-up of tension in the muscles and cause stress on joints, ligaments, tendons, as well as the muscles themselves. Apart from muscle tension, the athlete is also bogged down with fatigue and injuries which may hamper the main performance.

Sports massage is the answer to emotional and physical well being for an athlete before, after and during a performance.

For the past few thousand years, the Western world has largely resisted the notion that a procedure as noninvasive and, yes, pleasurable as massage could have a significant healing effect.

Finally, however, clinical centers throughout the U.S. are taking a closer look at massage’s medical benefits.

Loretta Ulibarri, 49, is training for her 49th marathon this summer, which will put her on target to reach 50 marathons by her 50th birthday. Achieving this feat, which has sometimes required tackling four marathons a year, took more than guts, grit, and lots of running shoes. “If it weren’t for massage, I wouldn’t be able to do this,” says Ulibarri, who lives in Denver. “I had a lot of inflammation problems and ongoing soreness that interfered with my training.

Ten years ago, I started getting a sports massage every three weeks, and since then, I’ve been injury-free and able to train year-round.”

Cycling results in a unique set of aches and pains due to the aerodynamic position used to be more efficient, trying to cheat physics whenever possible; this is what you think about when you’re the motor: “I am in good condition, but early season and challenging rides like this can be a wakeup call for the muscles used in cycling.”

Whatever your priority may be, sports massage can aid you in achieving what is important to you in your active lifestyle and with this article I will show you why and where to find a great sports massage therapist.

How does it work?
The mechanical pumping action of the massage strokes increase circulation which improves the removal of metabolic waste from the area whist supplying essential nutrients, for this reason muscle pain and fatigue are reduced.

Sports massage can be used to improve athletic performance, speed recovery, and can be utilized by all individuals who participate in any athletic and/or exercise program to help improve conditioning and maintain peak performance.

Many professional and collegiate athletic programs employ or contract with massage therapists, and sports massage has been sought for many years by athletes of differing backgrounds for multiple reasons.