Benefits of Massage Therapy in Recovery and Sports Performance (A Review of Qualitative Literature)

Abstract

Background: In the field of sports, massage has widely been used by coaches, players and massage practitioners with the perception of increasing performance, adding to recovery during fatigued state of the body and easing stress and stiffness. An effort was made in this research study to evaluated the findings of the current literature focusing the effect of massage therapy in perspectives of physiological and psychological parameters of sports performance. Purpose: Purpose of the study was to review and evaluate the existing literature regarding the possible effect of massage in connection with sports performance, recovery and rehabilitation. Methods: Findings of more than sixty-five selected research studies were carefully examined in the present study. Results: The present review revealed that, with the exception to flexibility, massage does not have any significant effect on physiological parameters of sports performance. However, a number of research studies endorse the role of massage in relieving muscular pain and delaying onset of muscle soreness among the players. Similarly, the psychological effects of massage existed in perspectives of anxiety, depression and stress. Conclusion: Application of massage therapy with the objective of improving sports performance seems to be premature and to some extent questionable. On account of psychological effects of relaxation which keeps the player focused, decreases stress and increases mood state, massage is indirectly connected to the quality of sports performance. Finally, it is concluded that due to consistent findings, further research is required to determine the role of massage therapy in perspective various physiological and psychological parameters of sports performance.

Keywords: Massage, Sports, Recovery, Performance, Therapy, Parameter