Sport massage has been used for many years around the world as an aid to enhance performance, recover from muscle soreness and prepare for exercise. While massage is often used as an adjunct therapy, it is most commonly used in post-exercise contexts rather than pre-exercise contexts. Pre-exercise activities, such as warm-up, stretching and massage, can enhance performance and decrease the likelihood of eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage. However, massage has not proven beneficial in a pre-exercise context; little research has been conducted in this area. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the use of massage as an ergogenic aid.
