Sports massage is a particular method of physiotherapeutic treatment, resulting from a combination of different massage techniques, and has three main applications:

• pre-race preparation and warm-up massage
• recovery and relaxation or post-race decongestant massage
• muscle tone/trophy maintenance massage

The objectives of the pre-race massage are to stimulate circulatory flow to the muscles, reduce muscle tension, and not least to induce a feeling of feeling of psychological readiness. The objectives of the post-race sports massage are to decontract muscles, reduce any oedema caused by micro-trauma, restore elasticity, and stimulate blood flow to remove lactic acid, reduce the likelihood of cramps and post-performance pain, and speed up recovery time. Maintenance sports massage, as a regular part of athletic training plans, should be performed at least once a week, the aim being to increase the flow of blood and nutrients to the muscles, keep the tissues 'free' so that the different tissue layers 'glide' easily over each other ensuring elasticity.
The main techniques used in sports massage are:

• grazing, increases blood flow to the muscle
• kneading, a technique frequently used for muscle decontracting
• percussion, for muscle toning
• vibration, to aid venous-lymphatic return.

Sports massage sessions generally last 40-60 minutes and must be performed by qualified therapists.