The season for runners, triathletes, and the likes is off and "running"... pun intended. The need for optimal training, diet, and recovery is at hand... or feet... back... Well you get it!
I am constantly asked "How can I become better, faster, slimmer?" The answer is not an easy one. Most of us try as hard as we can to eat healthy and exercise regularly to keep us going. What all of us forget is maintenance. Obviously I am a huge supporter of massage, always have been and always will be. Added to the, dare I say, "alternative" approach to health of massage is chiropractic, acupuncture, and a good stretching regimen. These are just a few off the top of my head. Most top athletes know the benefits of all these and more, but do you?  When was the last time you had a massage? When was the last time you saw a chiropractor? (who is by the way a doctor... DC.. Doctor of Chiropractic) When was the last time you stretched for more than a few minutes? If it wasn't this week or last, you really are missing out on a key part of your training. "But it cost so much!" Does it? How much is your health worth to you? As a society of smokers, drinkers, eaters and couch potatoes, its amazing that we can afford anything at all! Do you want to be a better athlete or to be the best you can be? Take some advice... Add massage and chiropractic to your training regimen... its worth its weight in gold! Not only will you be a better athlete, but you will feel better and recover faster. I take your health seriously and you should as well!

This article touches some key points for the athlete and massage.
http://www.pacificcollege.edu/acupuncture-massage-news/articles/573-benefits-of-sports-massage.html
I wish you all the best of health and hope to see you at a race soon!!!

Massage- The Post-Workout Ritual of the Pros

I found this article about post-workout massage:

Finally, a "manly" excuse to get a massage: It refuels your workout. According to a new study, a post-sweat rubdown promotes recovery and relieves pain in the same way anti-inflammatory meds (ie: ibuprofen) do.

In the study, 11 guys biked to exhaustion. Afterwards, they had just one of their legs massaged. The kneaded leg had fewer signs of muscle inflammation—which lead to soreness—than untouched leg.

How come? When you work out hard (think: The Spartacus Workout), your muscles tear, releasing pro-inflammatory substances that make them ache. “Massage improves your body’s ability to make the proteins needed for energy that goes towards rebuilding muscles torn or strained during a workout,” says Simon Melov, Ph.D., and lead researcher of the study.

So when should you hit up a masseuse? Melov says that the pros are onto something. Ever seen a guy fresh off the field headed to a trainer’s table? It makes sense: The study found that the largest differences in inflammation were seen in having a massage immediately after a tough workout.

To view the original article go to: http://news.menshealth.com/massage-after-workout/2012/02/06/

 

 

Massage Away Your Stress Hormones

Another reason to get a massage:

Massage, both light and deep-tissue, has surprising health benefits. Sure, it feels great and can relax and energize your muscles. But now researchers at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles have completed a study that shows that massage affects your hormones in important ways.

What are hormones and why should you care? Hormones are basically chemicals in the cells of your body. A hormone is a kind of signal sent out from one cell to your other cells that can affect your body's metabolism-- the chemical reactions that affect, for example, how you feel.

And that's what the study shows massage can do for you-- change how you feel, and for the better. 53 lucky test subjects, according to a New York Times article, had either a 45 minute light massage, or a deep-tissue Swedish massage.

Blood samples taken before and after showed that those that received a light massage gained more oxytocin—our body's natural feel-good hormone, and a reduction in “adrenal corticotropin hormone, which stimulates the adrenal glands” to release the stress hormone cortisol. When cortisol, also known as hydrocortisone, is released, it suppresses your immune system and can increase your blood sugar.

Those that had a deep-tissue Swedish massage showed an impressive reduction in cortisol and another hormone that may increase cortisol. On top of that, there was an increase in lymphocytes, or white blood cells, that are part of your immune system.

It's one of those seemingly rare cases of something that feels good for you and turns out to actually be good for you. How often does that happen? The new study is a vindication for massage therapy, a practice with a history going back to ancient Mesopotamia that is too often dismissed as having no real health benefits.

To view the original article go to: http://www.dailystrength.org/health_blogs/teamds/article/massage-away-your-stress-hormones