Massage Therapy is becoming a greater part of every athlete’s conditioning program. Why is this?  Because Massage Therapy facilitates the removal of lactic acid, lengthens hypertonic (tight) muscles, speeds recovery time and decreases probability of injury.

Athletes are now realizing not only do they need to take part in a vigorous training regimen to increase strength and endurance, but they also need to incorporate Massage Therapy as part of their recovery and prevention routine.

As athletes push their bodies, massage therapy allows greater efficiency and prevention of injury to occur.

How the Body Responds to New Training Programs

Whether in season or off season training, when the body is challenged with a new conditioning program or

increased intensity, there are three (Alarm, Resistance, and exhaustion phase) common stresses placed on the body referred to as the General Adaptation Syndrome: alarm, resistance and exhaustion.

First Phase: ALARM phase lasts days to weeks and involves muscular soreness, stiffness and fatigue.
Second Phase: RESISTANCE phase is where the body is now building strength in response to the stress of the training. This is when your lactate threshold and VO2 max increase, making you stronger and faster.
Third Phase: EXHAUSTION phase is when the athlete experiences similar symptoms to the alarm phase. This phase can occur after a sudden increase in training intensity, if over-trained or there’s too little or a lack of adequate recovery.

To avoid over–training, one should ensure training frequency, intensity and duration are gradually increased (5-10% per week in the off season and specific to rider’s goals in season). Adequate recovery including hydration, carbohydrate intake, stretching and Massage Therapy to maximize recovery of previous training session, which, in turn, results in increased performance!

How Can You Benefit from Massage Therapy?

Massage Therapy can treat a wide range of conditions, specifically trigger points, muscle hypertonicity and muscle soreness related to sport. Trigger points are taut hyperirritable bands of muscle that can cause referral pain to different areas of the body. Trigger points are treated by compressing the taut band, resulting in release of muscle via increase blood flow, nutrients and oxygen.

Muscle hypertonicity and soreness are treated by warming the tissue and stripping the muscle to re-lengthen and flush the muscle of toxins. Treating trigger points, muscle hypertonicity and soreness will decrease your chance of muscle cramps and injury, keeping you strong and on-track with your training schedule and on your bike!

Cycling

Riding Position

The riding position a cyclist assumes is sustained lumbar flexion, protracted shoulders and neck extension (i.e. looking up). This creates muscular skeletal tightening and shortening most commonly in the hip flexors, pectorals and posterior neck muscles.

There will also be associated muscle weakness through the middle to lower back.  Being aware of postural stress on muscles during your ride is important, so you know what to stretch before and after your ride.

Injuries Associated with Cycling:

1. Handle Bar Palsy: numbness, tingling and weakness in the hand due to irritation of the ulnar nerve
2. Thoracic Outlet Syndrome: pinching of the neurovascular bundle (nerves and arteries). Signs and symptoms include numbness or tingling originating in the shoulder, moving down the arm into the hand
3. Iliotibial Band Syndrome: pain at the outside of the knee due to repetitive flexion and extension of the knee
4. Trocanteric Bursitis: pain at the outside of the hip from repetitive flexion and extension of the hip
5. Ischial Bursitis: pain upon sitting
6. Achillies Tendonitis: tenderness just superior to the heel
7. Pseudosciatica: pain with referral from the buttock down to the foot