Champaign, IL—Elite athletes swear by sports massage: Michael Phelps, Dara Torres, and Lolo Jones can attest to the benefits of the practice. According to popular massage therapist Michael McGillicuddy, athletes’ careers could be extended with the proper application of sport massage techniques. “Whatever sports you play, sport massage will give you 20 percent extra—extra performance, extra protection, and extra time per game, per season, per career,” McGillicuddy says.
In his book Massage for Sport Performance (Human Kinetics, 2010), McGillicuddy offers massage techniques for eliminating many of the conditions that plague athletes after difficult training sessions, including soreness, tightness, and muscle fatigue. He instructs athletes on giving themselves or a partner proper sport massage and demonstrates pre- and postevent massage, recovery massage, and spot treatments to speed muscle recovery and improve performance.
McGillicuddy also breaks down massage methods with a 60-minute DVD displaying all the necessary techniques for a standard sport massage and specific massage recommendations for eight major sports, including basketball, track and field, soccer, and swimming.
“Massage can eliminate much of the internal muscle resistance,” McGillicuddy says. “The result is restoring, rejuvenating, and inspiring athletes to continue to perform at high levels.”
For more information, see Massage for Sport Performance.
