Massage Was Key to Olympic Swimmers' Success; Massage Even Helps Rabbits!

Can you believe it? A study used rabbits to test the benefits of massage on athletic recovery. The rabbits were exercised on a device that simulated running downhill. Afterward, one group received Swedish massage while the control group did not (but did receive rest). The massaged group had improved function, less swelling, and less inflammation than the non-massaged rabbits.

Just so you know, rabbits are not the only ones getting massage. I wrote earlier about the massage schedule for the swim team in the Olympics. Champ Michael Phelps received two massages a day while in Beijing. Dara Torres had massage therapists on standby.

More than half of the team members of the St. Louis Rams seek massage either for pre-event or post-event therapy, or both. Unfortunately the team does not have staff massage therapist, and the players must seek out their own professionals.

To quote a recent article, 'Before athletic events, a massage therapist can help athletes warm up by jostling and stretching the muscles and using circular friction and simple compression on specific body parts. This can continue, only more gently, during competition when the muscles are fatigued. And after an event, Swedish massage is best, Riberio said.'

To read the complete article from St. Louis Today, go to http://preview.stltoday.com/stltoday/lifestyle/stories.nsf/0/cdfd36120bc39359862574c50072ca54?OpenDocument&Click=.

Sports Massage and the Olympics

A recent story in the massage journal offered a glimpse into the inside world of sports massage at the highest levels of sport. In this case, the sport was swimming, and the place was the USA Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska the first week of July.

Each morning the swimmers reported first to an area with 25 massage tables at the ready। Here they received pre-event massages before warming up with an hour or so of swimming. The swimmers then focused on the finer points with the help of the coaches, and finally squeezed into their Speedo racing suits. Oof!

More massages are given the athletes both before and after they race। Swimmers go from the race to a cool-down pool to a post-race massage. Then another crew of massage therapists was available at the hotel to work on the athletes during the afternoon break. THEN the swimmers go back to the pool at 5 pm to repeat the whole cycle again.

It is a grueling and demanding regime for the athletes and the massage therapists alike। The therapists must be experienced and adept enough to handle “emergency” requests for treatment when the next race may be five minutes away. How do you fix a muscle cramp in so short a period? It isn’t easy!

One typical cramp that is common with swimmers is that after turning their heads to the left for a breath through thousands of lap, the swimmer may not even be able to turn the head to the right! But this is very similar to the cramp that office workers get after working with a phone clamped between their head and shoulder all day.

It is always a good feeling to know that you have helped someone to do their best in an athletic event, even if they did not win or make the finals. For most, it is enough to have achieved a personal best.