How Massage Can Improve Cycling Performance

Long hours in the saddle and hard workouts can leave your muscles riddled with knots and scar tissue created as they repair themselves. And because all your muscles are connected, those sore spots can spread throughout your body if not treated—a tight lower back creates an achy hip that leads to a twinged knee. That's why so many cyclists swear by massages.

In a recently published article entitled, “Why Massages Should Be Part of Your Cycling Routine,” author and expert, Lauren Glendenning, writes:

“Professional athletes across all kinds of sports often rely on regular massages to reduce muscle tension or promote recovery, but consistent massage therapy has benefits for the everyday athlete, too,” adding that cycling along endless roads, trails and mountain passes can become addictive, and regular cyclists in these hills know the importance of perseverance through a long season.

“Soft tissue manipulation that occurs during massage encourages blood flow through the muscles,” she writes.

Massages also have a rejuvenating effect

When muscles are stressed, the fibers of the fascia that cover them suffer micro-tears. As they heal, these fibers become stronger, but they also can form scar tissue, called adhesions, which can limit your range of motion and cause discomfort. Deep pressure applied by a massage therapist to the fascia breaks up these adhesions.

“Techniques such as trigger point therapy help massage therapists target chronic pain or muscular dysfunction, while sports massage focuses on recovery, performance and well-being. Pain and injury massages focus on major muscle groups to relieve chronic and acute pain,” writes Glandenning.

Timing is everything when it comes to massage. Wait too long and those adhesions will tighten and multiply. Go get a massage today!