The importance of massage in area sports...

Massage is an ancient practice, one can say that he was born with the man; rub a body part "hit" is a human reaction entirely instinctive.The term "massage" refers to a series of manual skills that are practiced on the body surface for care and treatment or mental well-being. Today massage is widely used for its therapeutic benefits and for its effective relaxing effect on musculoskeletal structure. Hence the importance, I would say fundamental, sports massage, the characteristics of which distinguish it from the therapeutic massage and other types of massage, although the basic maneuvers remain those basic. One must take into account that the athlete has a physical vigor very different from that of a normal man, and, consequently, a hypertrophic musculature and much more elastic.

The sports massage is designed to bring and keep the body of the athlete in peak condition by improving the physical and psychological condition, eliminating the state of fatigue, preventing and treating possible injuries of muscles and tendons; is a special type of massage that serves to optimize athletic performance.

Hence the three effects of sports massage:
• prepares the muscle making it ready for use
• relaxes after the activity
• improves recovery times

It is carried out with bare hands, using creams or specific oils, with different functions: analgesic, anti-inflammatory draining of hematoma and edema reduction, nutrition, oxygenation and tissue heating. The sports massage is then applied not only after a race, but also between a competition and the other or prior to the race itself. Anyone can enjoy the benefits of this massage, regardless of age, type of sport and the level of performance achieved.

The massage before the race you run a few minutes before the race. In addition to warm up your muscles, increasing their ability to work, the tone and joint mobility, is designed to prevent injuries and defuse anxiety before the start.
It stimulates the central nervous system, the maneuvers are designed to create fast fast contractions that, combined with the product used, favoring the blood supply in the muscle and increase the local temperature; the duration is 5 - 10 minutes.

The massage after the race you run several minutes after the end of the effort. Its action is recovery, promotes drainage of the venous blood and as a result of the toxins produced, thus improving arterial blood supply.
The duration is about 25 minutes, the movements are slow and delicate to promote drainage of the muscles giving a pleasant sedative.

Massage infra race can be run during the breaks of the competition. And 'useful for restoring a physiological condition most ideal muscle subjected to the stress of the year racing, promoting the elimination of these muscles substances that accumulate because of the intense effort.

Cristina Esposito

Studio ,,BenEssere'' - Acqui Terme (AL)