Which is a physical effect of sports massage?

• A. Nervous system relaxation
• B. Increased inflammation
• C. Improved range of motion
• D. Muscle hypertrophy

Answer: (C)

Improved range of motion is a physical effect of sports massage because the work on soft tissues reduces tension and adhesions in muscles and fascia, allowing them to move more freely and enabling joints to operate through a larger range. Enhancing local blood and lymphatic flow helps remove stiffness-promoting metabolites and decreases reflexive muscle guarding, so the tissues become more pliable and stretch-tolerant. This combination translates into a tangible change in how far a limb can move. The other options describe responses that aren’t direct tissue changes from massage: nervous system relaxation is a broader relaxation response rather than a mechanical tissue change; increased inflammation is not a desired or typical effect of massage; and muscle hypertrophy depends on resistance training and protein adaptations, not massage alone.