Does Sports Massage Improve Performance?What a Meta-Analysis Found
Across 29 studies and 1,012 people, sports massage didn't improve strength, sprinting, jumping, endurance or fatigue, but it was linked with small improvements in flexibility and muscle soreness.
- Written by
- MyoFitness Research Team
- Published
- Reading time
- 3 min read
- Year
- 2020
- Journal
- BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine
- Study design
- Systematic review and meta-analysis (29 studies, 1,012 participants)
- Lead author
- Davis HL et al.
What the study looked at
Many runners, footballers and gym-goers book a sports massage before or after big efforts. This review asked whether manual sports massage improves performance or helps recovery.
The researchers looked at strength, sprinting, jumping, endurance, fatigue, flexibility and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), the aching that often peaks a day or two after hard exercise.
What the review included
The studies
29 studies with 1,012 participants: 12 randomised controlled trials and 17 randomised crossover studies, where the same people try both massage and no massage.
The massage
Only manual massage by a qualified professional, including effleurage, petrissage, tapotement, vibration, friction and compression. Foam rollers, water jets and automated devices were excluded.
The comparison
Massage versus control. Where results were measured several times, the review used the measurement taken soonest after massage.
What the results showed
Massage didn't change performance, but people felt a little looser and less sore.
- 01
No performance boost
There was no significant effect on strength, sprinting, jumping, endurance or fatigue.
- 02
Small flexibility gain
Massage was linked with a small improvement in flexibility, described by the authors as about 7%, compared with no massage rather than stretching.
- 03
Less muscle soreness
Massage was linked with less DOMS, described as about a 13% improvement. Soreness was self-rated, which can be influenced by expectations.
- 04
Results varied
Findings differed widely between studies, and the flexibility and soreness results were influenced by single outlier studies.
Key finding in plain terms
Sports massage didn't make people faster, stronger or better at jumping. It may help people feel a little less sore and a little looser after exercise.
What this means for practice
Sports massage is reasonable for comfort and soreness after hard training or events, and if it helps an athlete keep training consistently, that's a real benefit. For niggles that keep coming back, strength work and training load are more likely to change the pattern.
Athletes should see a GP if they can't bear weight, feel a sudden pop or snap, or have a calf that's swollen, warm and painful. Chest pain, breathlessness or fainting during exercise needs a call to 000.
Clinical relevance by discipline
Remedial Massage
Similar techniques apply. Targeting specific tight or sore areas can help clients feel better between sessions.
Physiotherapy
Supports keeping training load, strength and conditioning at the centre of injury management.
Sports Treatment
Position sports massage as recovery and comfort support, not a performance enhancer.
Myotherapy
For recurring injuries, assessment and a loading plan are likely to matter more than massage alone.
Limitations to be aware of
Most included studies were small, with varied designs and massage methods. Soreness and fatigue were self-rated, so placebo effects are possible.
Few studies looked at regular massage over weeks or months, and the best length of a massage is still unclear.
Summary
This meta-analysis of 29 studies found no evidence that sports massage directly improves performance. It may somewhat improve flexibility and reduce post-exercise soreness, though the evidence comes mostly from small, varied studies.
For sports and remedial therapists, sports massage is best framed as a way to feel better between efforts, with training load, sleep and nutrition still doing most of the work.
Full research paper
This page is a plain-language summary. The original paper holds the full methods, statistics and discussion.
Davis HL et al. (2020). Does Sports Massage Improve Performance? What a Meta-Analysis Found. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 12(4), 184.
DOI10.1136/bmjsem-2019-000614
Read the full paperSports massage is available
Find a qualified myotherapist or remedial massage therapist who works from the research, or write to us with a question about this study.
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