Sportmen’s experiences at a somatology clinic receiving a sport message

Abstract

Sportsmen are increasingly visiting somatology clinics for massages prior to an aerobic sports event. Massage is frequently utilised prior to an athletic activity, as a means of enhancing performance. Massage is known to have both calming and stimulating properties, thereby possessing the potential to benefit performance in numerous different circumstances. In the context of sportsmen visiting somatology clinics, it is unclear how men experienced the benefits of a massage by a therapist in the somatology environment, prior to participating in an aerobic sports event. The purpose of this qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual study was to explore and describe the experiences of men regarding sports massage in a somatology clinic prior to an aerobic sports event. Purposive sampling was used to select eight (8) men, aged between 25 and 50 years, who received two massages within two weeks prior to participating in an aerobic sports event. The data were collected through in-depth, unstructured, individual interviews and field notes until saturation of data was achieved. Trustworthiness was ensured by utilising the principles of Lincoln and Guba’s model. The men experienced the sports massage as relaxing and giving perceived holistic beneficial effects. They described their experience during the massage and during and after participation in an aerobic sports event. A sports massage brings about psychological, physical, and spiritual effects during and after participation in an aerobic sports event.

Sportsmanne besoek toenemend somatologieklinieke vir masserings voor ’n aërobiese sportsbyeenkoms as ’n manier om prestasie te bevorder. Massering is bekend vir beide die kalmerende en stimulerende eienskappe daarvan, en daarom beskik dit oor potensiële voordele vir prestasie in verskeie omstandighede. In die konteks van sportsmanne wat somatologieklinieke besoek, is dit steeds onduidelik hoe mans die voordele van ’n massering by ’n somatologieterapeut voor hul deelname aan ’n aërobiese sportsbyeenkoms ervaar. Die doel van hierdie kwalitatiewe, ondersoekende, beskrywende en kontekstuele studie was om die ervaringe van mans ten opsigte van ’n sportsmassering in ’n somatologiekliniek voor ’n aërobiese sportsbyeenkoms te ontdek en te beskryf. Doelbewuste steekproefneming is gebruik om agt mans, tussen 25 en 50 jaar oud, wie twee masserings binne twee weke voor deelname aan ’n aërobiese sportsbyeenkoms ontvang het, te selekteer. Die data is deur in diepte, ongestruktureerde onderhoude en veldnotas ingesamel totdat dataversadiging bereik is. Vertrouenswaardigheid is deur die gebruik van die beginsels van Lincoln en Guba se model verseker. Die mans het hul ervaring tydens die massering, asook tydens en na hul deelname aan die aërobiese sportsbyeenkoms, beskryf. Hulle het die sportsmassering as ontspannend ervaar wat holisties voordelige effekte meebring. Die massering het psigologiese, fisiese en geestelike voordele teweeggebring.