It’s called cryotherapy and it’s one recovery methodology after training and competitions more and more popular among top-level athletes. In the beginning it was rugby players but now it is not uncommon to see football players, martial arts athletes but also runners and cyclists dedicating themselves to cold therapy at the end of a prolonged and intense effort. Moreover, cryotherapy is not even new, given that the therapeutic and anti-inflammatory properties of cold have been known since ancient times, and although technology has allowed the development of very advanced techniques (from cryochambers to cryosaunas and cryoultrasounds) immerse yourself in a tub of ice remains the simplest way to recover from muscle fatigue, dispose of any lactic acid and soothe muscle pain.
The benefits of cryotherapy in the cold for sportsmen
In general cold has both analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects so much so that, when you simply get hit, the first thing you think about is putting ice. The same principle is applied for cryotherapy in sport: immersing yourself in a tub of water with ice allows you to relieve muscle pain and contain swelling, it performs a muscle relaxant action by loosening the muscles and preventing them from remaining contracted, blocks the production of lactic acid and slows down the metabolism of muscle tissues and their deterioration following athletic effort.
All these actions of the cold result in a faster recovery and, in general, in an activity to prevent muscle and tendon injuries from stress.
> Read also: 5 stretching exercises to do after running
How long to soak in the tub with ice
In a bathtub with ice the temperature reaches about 5°/10°C and certainly not the sub-zero tips of much more advanced techniques. However this already allows to obtain some benefits even with relatively short permanence times. In fact, since it is not only the cold that produces its effects on the body but also the moment in which one comes out of the ice water and the body regains its ideal temperature, the best thing is to immerse yourself for even just 1 minute , get out of the water for 1 or 2 minutes, and repeat this alternating hot/cold cycle many times.
Credits Photo: Marco Verch Flickr Creative Commons 2.0
> Read also: All the benefits of foam roller
Advertising