I try to have regular sports massages. I truly find them beneficial not only for injury prevention, but just for feeling good!
The massagers I see invariably tell me to drink lots after the massage. Some even tell me they can 'feel' I am dehydrated during a massage. As a dietitian this got me wondering if there is any truth to this and if the advice surrounding hydration could be improved.
So I've read into the subject and combined this with my experience working as a clinical dietitian. Here's what I've learned about why you need to drink before and after a massage.
Why are hydration and massage related?
The theory behind being advised to be hydrated before a massage is due to the 'Myofascia'. This is a fibrous stringy substance surrounding muscles. You may sometimes see it on meat you eat, like chicken breasts.
Myofascia can hold muscles in incorrect positions. Massage can break down the mayofascia and allow the muscle to move more freely.
Why do you need to drink before a massage?
Hydration is involved because myofascia becomes stiffer when dehydrated. This means if you are dehydrated before the massage your experience may be more uncomfortable and you may get less benefit from the massage because the myofascia is harder to release.
Why do you need to drink after a massage?
I've previously been told this is due to toxins being released from the muscles. This is not true. Your muscles do not store toxins.
However, if the massage has been deep and firm the muscle could have been damaged (not badly and nothing to be concerned about). Damaged muscles release proteins into the blood which are broken down into urea. This is excreted in urine.
Damaged muscles mean more protein released into the blood, which means more urea is made. More urea means more urinating to remove the urea. This means you need more water, otherwise the urea won't be excreted, or your body excretes it anyway and you become dehydrated.
This is why you need to hydrate after a massage, or atleast it is advisable.
Is there a drink that hydrates better than others?
In short. No.
Water is very well absorbed. You have meters of intestines to improve how much water you absorb. If you didn't absorb water you drink, it would come out your bum.
I find it funny when people say water 'goes straight through them' when they have to go to the toilet for a wee. It hasn't gone straight through them. It's been absorbed from their intestines into their blood. Their body has sensed there is more water in the blood than needs to be. Then the kidneys filter off a little more water from the blood and you wee it out. You have absorbed all the water you drank! It didn't go straight through you!
So, water can hydrate you perfectly well!
During exercise drinks containing electrolytes and carbohydrates can lead to increased absorption and retention of water. This is only necessary when water losses are especially high and fast.
There are several kinds of drinks. They can be simplified into how dilute or concentrated they are. Hypotonic, isotonic and hypertonic. These are named for the concentration of electrolytes and carbohydrates relative to blood.
Isotonic has the exact same concentration as blood.
Hypotonic is less concentrated than blood.
Hypertonic is more concentrated than blood.
If you have done school level science you probably know water likes to move by osmosis to where there is less water (or where there are more electrolytes). Therefore a hypotonic solution can lead to more water flowing into the blood.
There are uses for hypertonic and isotonic drinks within sport, but for the purpose of hydrating before and after a massage water or a hypotonic drink is adequate.
Taste is also important. Sometimes people find drinking water hard, but other drinks are more palatable and therefore make achieving optimal hydration status easier.
To summarise, water hydrates you just fine. However, taste can help you drink more and a hypotonic electrolyte drink may contribute to better hydration.
How much should you drink?
This is dependent on the person and how hydrated you are at baseline.
A rule of thumb for a healthy person is your body needs 35ml of water per kilogram of body weight everyday (not including sweat loss from exercise).
If you are 70kg you need 70x35 which equals 2450ml of water everyday.
It's probably reasonable to suggest you have 500ml of water in the hour before your massage and 500ml of water in the hour after your massage.
Then work to maintain adequate hydration. You can monitor this with looking at urine colour.
Summary: Why do you need to hydrate after a massage?
Hydrating makes myofascia easier to to release
Hydrating may make the massage less painful
Hydrating helps remove broken down proteins after the massage
Help prevent dehydration after the massage due to increased urea excretion
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