Massage and Athletic Performance: Flexibility, Strength and Evidence

What systematic reviews found about massage and sports performance: little effect on strength, speed or endurance, small effects on flexibility and soreness, and why trials are hard to read.

Content last updated October 22, 2026. This page has not been medically reviewed.

Massage is common in sport, from local clubs to elite teams. This page asks a narrow question: does massage improve how well people perform, and what does it do for the body around training and events? It is general information, not coaching and not medical advice. Massage is at most an add-on to training, sleep, food and rest.

Quick answer

In the largest review we read, massage did not improve strength, jumping, sprinting, endurance or fatigue. It was linked to small improvements in flexibility and in delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), the aching that shows up a day or two after hard exercise. [1] That review searched PubMed, MEDLINE and Cochrane and found 29 randomized studies with 1012 participants. [1]

Evidence label: no good evidence of benefit for direct performance gains; promising but limited for flexibility and soreness.

What the reviews found

Question	What the reviews found	Strength of evidence
Does massage raise strength, speed or endurance?	A 2020 meta-analysis found no evidence that it improves strength, jump, sprint, endurance or fatigue. [1] A 2023 review of 114 articles said massage in general does not affect motor abilities, except flexibility. [2]	No good evidence of benefit
Does it help flexibility?	Small but statistically significant improvements in the 2020 meta-analysis. [1]	Promising but limited
Does it ease muscle soreness?	Small improvements in DOMS. [1] An older review said post-exercise massage reduced the severity of soreness but did not affect loss of muscle function. [3]	Promising but limited
Does it speed recovery between efforts?	A 2016 meta-analysis of 22 trials called the effects "rather small and partly unclear". [4]	Mixed

Recovery between efforts

The 2016 meta-analysis located 22 randomized trials of massage for performance recovery. It found small and partly unclear effects, and noted a tendency for untrained people to benefit more than trained athletes. [4] Its authors questioned whether the limited effects justify the widespread use of massage as a recovery tool in competitive athletes. [4]

What massage does not seem to do

Two popular explanations are not well supported in the sources we read.

Blood flow. In a small 1995 experiment, massage of the thigh muscles did not significantly raise artery or vein blood speed above resting levels, while light muscle contractions did. [5] The 2023 review likewise reported no change in blood lactate clearance, muscle blood flow, muscle temperature or muscle activation. [2] A longer look at this topic is on massage for "better circulation".

Pre-event preparation. A 2005 review noted that limited research has looked at massage before exercise as a way to improve performance or prevent injury. [3] We did not find a trial in the sources we read that shows massage prevents sports injury. Proper evidence not found on this point. We searched PubMed for systematic reviews of massage, performance and injury prevention.

Feeling better is still a real outcome

The same 2023 review reported lower depression, stress, anxiety and perceived fatigue after massage, with better mood, relaxation and a sense of recovery. [2] Its authors concluded that using massage purely to gain performance is questionable, but that it may help indirectly by keeping an athlete relaxed and focused. [2] These are self-reported feelings, and people know when they are being massaged, so expectation can play a part. A trial cannot hide the treatment the way a pill trial can.

Sports massage: what it is and the evidence, massage for muscle soreness and exercise recovery, massage for athletes and active people and massage evidence by goal.

Frequently asked questions

Does massage improve athletic performance?

Not directly, according to the reviews we read. A 2020 meta-analysis found no evidence of better strength, jump, sprint, endurance or fatigue. [1]

Does massage improve flexibility?

Possibly a little. The same meta-analysis found small but statistically significant improvements in flexibility. [1]

Is massage good for sore muscles after a hard workout?

It may help a little. Reviews report small reductions in soreness, but not in loss of muscle function. [1][3]

Does massage flush out lactic acid or increase blood flow in muscles?

The evidence we read does not support this. A 2023 review found no change in blood lactate clearance or muscle blood flow. [2]

Who should check with a doctor before a sports massage?

Anyone with a blood clot, a bleeding disorder, blood thinners, a recent surgery, a broken bone or bruised skin. [7]

More details: evidence, limits and cautions

The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.

Limits of this evidence

Many studies are small, use different massage methods and time points, and measure different things, so pooled results are rough.
Massage cannot be blinded, and comfort and expectation are hard to separate from the hands-on effect.
Reviews mostly include healthy, active adults. They do not tell us about people with an injury, a health condition or a medicine that affects bleeding.

Safety and who should check first

Massage is generally low risk when done by a trained therapist, but serious problems have been reported, and a review of adverse events concluded that they are low in number. [6] Talk to a clinician first if you have a blood clot or clot history, a bleeding disorder, take blood thinners, have a recent injury, fracture or surgery, or have bruised or broken skin. [7] Pain that is sudden, severe or one-sided in a leg, with swelling, needs urgent medical help: in the US call 911 if it comes with chest pain or breathlessness. [8] Do not work through sharp pain, and stop and tell the therapist if something hurts in a way that feels wrong.

This page gives no technique instructions. Handheld percussion devices are covered at massage guns and percussive devices.

References

Education, not medical advice. This page is for general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Natural does not automatically mean safe. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before changing your care, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition.