109 Sports Massage: Enhancing Training, Participation and Recovery for Today's Athlete, 2nd Edition: Summary
• Goal is to preserve some muscle tone and not over lengthen the muscle
After an assessment is conducted the athlete can then proceed with a warm-up. A warm-up should be performed prior to a pre-event massage and benefits include: • Raises body temp and brings blood to the working muscles • Lowers blood and decreases muscle viscosity so the blood flows with greater ease • Stimulates the firing of neurotransmitters like epinephrine • Activates the parasympathetic nervous system • Provides time for athlete to focus on upcoming task The different types of warm-ups include general (bike elliptical) and specific (playing catch, shooting the basketball) and should be performed for approximately 5-10 minutes. The goals of a pre-event massage are as follows: stimulate muscles, free joint movement, reduce adhesions, and preserve some muscle tone. Techniques that may be utilized during a pre- event massage include: • Performing brisk massage strokes that stimulate the muscles (avoid long deep strokes) • Friction, AROM, vibrating/shaking, tapotement • Muscle release techniques • Dynamic flexibility The duration of the pre-event massage should be approximately 5-10 min; not too long that the athlete’s muscles become relaxed. Flexibility of Pre-Event Massage • Dynamic focused rather than static; to stimulate the stretch reflex full lengthened muscles should be avoided to maintain some muscle tension • Maintaining muscle tension also integrates the series elastic component that is part of the stretch shorten cycle (see diagram below) • Stretching of a muscle stimulates the muscle spindles that detect length; if a muscle is overstretched and lengthened too far it can’t snap back
The Stretch Reflex
During an event similar principles and massage techniques apply: • Brisk effleurage and petrissage massage • Move in centripetal direction (toward center of body) • Cross friction massage • Dynamic flexibility One of the goals of a massage during an event is to prevent the onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA) or lactic acid: • By product of the muscle creating motion or fuel • High concentration of hydrogen ions; hydrogen builds up in the muscle • Hydrogen binds to the actin fibers of the muscle impeding performance • To prevent lactic acid; maintain this fluid flow; keeping blood flowing to the heart • Work muscle groups proximal to distal to drain the fluid • For example, to clear the fluid in the calves, first start to clear the fluid from the quads Active vs Passive Flexibility Active flexibility - athlete is producing the movement under the guidance of the therapist/ trainer. Example: athlete reaches out to touch his toes.
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