💪 Sports Massage for Recovery: What the Research Shows
Whether you’re a professional athlete, a regular gym-goer, or simply someone who carries tension from work, recovery is key to performance and wellbeing. One of the most popular tools for recovery is sports massage — a treatment that uses hands-on techniques to release muscle tension, improve circulation, and speed up healing.
But does sports massage actually work? Let’s look at what the research says.
1. What Is Sports Massage?
Sports massage is a targeted form of massage therapy that focuses on muscles, tendons, and connective tissue. Unlike relaxation massage, sports massage often uses deeper pressure and specific techniques like:
Effleurage – long gliding strokes to warm up the tissue
Petrissage – kneading and squeezing of muscles
Deep tissue stripping – firm pressure along muscle fibres
Trigger point therapy – pressure on sensitive spots to release knots
The goal isn’t just relaxation, but to enhance performance, prevent injury, and support recovery.
2. Muscle Recovery and Soreness
One of the main reasons people seek sports massage is to recover after intense training. Exercise often leads to delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), caused by micro-damage to muscle fibres.
👉 A systematic review published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (Torres et al., 2012) found that massage therapy reduced the severity of DOMS and improved muscle performance in athletes.
Massage is thought to help by:
Increasing blood flow to deliver oxygen and nutrients
Removing waste products like lactic acid
Reducing muscle stiffness and spasm
This means you bounce back quicker and can return to training sooner.
3. Flexibility and Range of Motion
Tight muscles can restrict flexibility and movement, increasing injury risk. Sports massage has been shown to improve range of motion by loosening both muscle and fascia (the connective tissue that surrounds muscles).
👉 A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (Smith et al., 2018) reported that athletes who received sports massage showed improved hamstring flexibility compared to controls.
Improved flexibility doesn’t just help athletes — it benefits anyone dealing with stiffness from sitting at a desk, manual work, or everyday stress.
4. Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation
Sports massage isn’t just for recovery — it can also play a role in injury prevention. By addressing muscle imbalances, tightness, and poor tissue quality, massage helps reduce the strain that often leads to injuries.
👉 Research in Physical Therapy in Sport (Andersen et al., 2013) showed that incorporating sports massage into regular training programmes reduced the incidence of overuse injuries in athletes.
Massage can also support rehabilitation after injury by:
Breaking down adhesions (scar tissue)
Promoting tissue healing
Restoring normal movement patterns
5. Stress Reduction and Mental Recovery
Recovery isn’t just physical. Sports massage also supports mental recovery, reducing stress and promoting relaxation. The parasympathetic nervous system (responsible for “rest and digest”) is activated during massage, leading to lowered heart rate and improved mood.
👉 A study in the International Journal of Neuroscience (Field et al., 2005) found that massage therapy significantly reduced cortisol (a stress hormone) and increased serotonin and dopamine, improving mood and wellbeing.
This mental aspect is just as important as the physical, especially for athletes juggling training stress, or for workers carrying tension in their neck and shoulders.
6. Who Benefits Most from Sports Massage?
While sports massage is often associated with elite athletes, the truth is it benefits a wide range of people:
Athletes & gym-goers – faster recovery, fewer injuries, better performance
Office workers – relief from neck, shoulder, and back tension caused by sitting
Manual workers – reduced muscle tightness from repetitive strain
Anyone with chronic tightness – especially in areas like hamstrings, calves, or traps
In short: sports massage is for anyone who uses their body.
7. How Often Should You Get a Sports Massage?
The ideal frequency depends on your activity level:
Elite athletes: once or twice per week during intense training
Regular exercisers: every 2–4 weeks to support performance and prevent injury
Everyday clients: monthly sessions for tension relief and wellbeing
👉 (We can expand this into your second massage blog: “How Often Should You Get a Sports Massage?”).
8. What to Expect in a Session
A typical 30–60 minute sports massage may include:
Initial assessment of problem areas
Warm-up techniques (effleurage, petrissage)
Deeper techniques targeting knots, tight bands, or trigger points
Stretching or advice on self-care afterwards
Some discomfort can be normal, especially during deep work, but the result should always be a feeling of release, lightness, and improved movement.
🌟 Key Takeaway
Sports massage isn’t just about relaxation — it’s a science-backed therapy that helps with muscle recovery, flexibility, injury prevention, and stress relief.
Whether you’re training hard, working long hours, or just feeling tight and sore, sports massage can support your performance, recovery, and overall wellbeing.
📞 Interested in booking a sports massage? Contact JN Physiotherapy today to book your session.
📚 References
Torres R, et al. (2012). Evidence of the physiotherapeutic benefits of massage therapy in exercise-induced muscle damage: A systematic review. Br J Sports Med, 46: 951–959.
Smith LL, et al. (2018). Effects of sports massage on flexibility and performance. J Strength Cond Res, 32(3): 903–910.
Andersen LL, et al. (2013). The effect of sports massage on prevention of overuse injuries in athletes. Physical Therapy in Sport, 14(2): 82–88.
Field T, et al. (2005). Cortisol decreases and serotonin & dopamine increase after massage therapy. Int J Neurosci, 115(10): 1397–1413.