Eric Zabel, on the table in Hell on Wheels. Who can say if it was massage that gave him such heart, that enabled him to ride all season, and to remain competitive for so long? One of the greats. Rolf Aldag receives quality work in the film as well.
In general, massage in cycling (or whichever sport; cycling just happens to be my chosen interest) can help increase performance by:
1) Increasing blood flow-with attendant benefits of better nutrition and increased oxygen supply for muscles, as well as increased removal of metabolic waste. This greatly speeds and improves recovery!
2)Improving flexibility- both through actual stretching and passive movement through range of motion , as well as increasing the range of a given muscle(s) through relaxation of trigger points or adhesions in the muscle(s) opposite. For example, if there were a tightness in your hamstrings, this affects not only the action of those muscles in the back/upwards half of the pedal stroke, but also inhibits the full use of quadriceps in the extension/downstroke as well. By reducing or eliminating this hangup, the entire pedal stroke is freed to be as round as you can make it.
3)Reducing scar tissue- which will permit greater ease and range in movement, with a frequent decrease in associated pain.
4)Reducing stress-which is nice. Feeling well is important, don't fool yourself.
5)Fine tuning your fit on the bike- this can be accomplished as we work together over a period of time and your "stuff"- that is, your chronic areas of complaint- becomes evident and diminished through the work itself or a combination of the work and changes in bike fit to better accommodate your person.
Biaggio Cavanna, "the magician of the muscles" with his protege- Fausto Coppi, Il Campionissimo.Now. If only I can get a massage table made like this:
Contact me (by clicking on the profile for my email) to get the wheel rolling.
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