Sports Massage Therapy

What Is Sports Massage Therapy?

Sports massage therapy is a specialized form of massage designed for athletes and active individuals. Unlike relaxation massage, sports massage targets the specific muscle groups used in your sport, addresses performance limitations, and is timed strategically within your training and competition schedule.

At Alpha Sports Performance Medicine, our licensed massage therapists work within our multidisciplinary sports medicine team — collaborating with chiropractors and rehabilitation specialists to provide integrated care that maximizes your results.

Types of Sports Massage We Offer

Pre-Event Massage

Applied 15 minutes to several hours before competition. Uses lighter, stimulating techniques to increase circulation, warm tissue, and prepare the nervous system for high-intensity activity. Not the time for deep, slow work.

Post-Event Massage

Applied after competition to flush metabolic byproducts, reduce swelling, and begin the recovery process. Uses slower, lighter strokes to calm the nervous system and support tissue restoration.

Maintenance Massage

Regular sessions throughout the training cycle to address accumulating tension, prevent overuse injuries, and maintain tissue quality. Most effective as a consistent part of your recovery protocol.

Rehabilitative Massage

Applied during injury recovery to reduce scar tissue formation, restore tissue mobility, and support the rehabilitation process.

What to Expect

Your session begins with a brief intake assessment covering your training schedule, current injuries, and session goals. Your therapist will use a combination of techniques — effleurage, petrissage, deep tissue work, and stretching — tailored to your specific needs and the purpose of the session.

Sessions typically run 30, 60, or 90 minutes. Longer sessions allow for full-body work or more detailed focus on multiple regions.

Who Benefits

• In-season athletes managing training load and tissue quality
• Endurance athletes (runners, cyclists, triathletes) managing lower extremity tightness and overuse
• Throwing athletes with upper body tension and rotator cuff maintenance needs
• Team sport athletes with high weekly contact loads
• Anyone looking to recover faster and train harder, longer

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should athletes get sports massage?

Most athletes benefit from 1–2 sessions per week during heavy training periods. Off-season and lower-volume periods may require just 2–4 sessions per month. Your therapist will recommend a frequency based on your training demands.

Should I eat before a massage?

Avoid eating a large meal within 1 hour before a massage session. Light snacking is fine. Stay well hydrated before and after.

Will sports massage hurt?

Sports massage involves deeper pressure than relaxation massage, particularly over chronically tight areas. You should communicate your comfort level throughout the session — effective work can be done without excessive pain. Post-session soreness lasting 24–48 hours is normal.

Is sports massage the same as deep tissue massage?

Deep tissue massage is one technique used within sports massage. Sports massage also includes pre/post-event techniques, rehabilitation work, and sport-specific protocols that go beyond deep tissue alone.

Can I train the same day as a massage?

Timing matters. Light training before a session is generally fine. After a deep session, we recommend allowing 24 hours before high-intensity training to let any post-treatment soreness resolve.

Are your massage therapists licensed?

Yes. All massage therapists at Alpha Sports are fully licensed by the state of Texas and hold active licensure in good standing.