Training tips: Cool down (literally) to enhance recovery

More than ever before we are being told to maximize our recovery and get the most out of the time we spend not running.

What and when we eat; how much we sleep; where and why we roll, massage and apply pressure; there are seemingly an endless number of ways to enhance our recovery from training.

This is particularly true of the time immediately before and after we run. Just as a warm up is done to prepare the body for an upcoming hard effort, a cool down enhances blood flow to the muscles and prepares it for recovery

But cooling down can also take on a much more literal meaning. With temperatures rising and humidity near the max, now is a good time to revisit the idea of trying an ice-bath (a.k.a. cold water immersion) for recovery.

The basic idea is simple. After any hard effort, your muscles have endured a stressful stimulus resulting in physical damage and metabolic waste products. These need to be repaired and eliminated so the recovery process can begin and adaptations can occur.

Unlike exercise which draws blood to the working muscles, cold water (such as an ice bath) forces the blood vessels to constrict and limits blood flow to the muscles. After a short period of being constricted – the 5-10 minutes spent immersed in cold water – the body will then bring a rush of fresh blood to the area which will begin the recovery process. It’s a similar idea as applying an ice pack to a sore or damaged muscle but instead it’s applied to the whole or large part of the body.

A few things to consider:

• The science is still out on the effectiveness of ice baths. Many, including elite coaches and athletes, swear by them but others are far more skeptical. Results are NOT guaranteed but never underestimate the power of the placebo effect (not to mention mental toughness).
• Be sure to attempt this process gradually, using cooler water temps and for shorter periods of time to start.
• A natural water source such as a cold lake or river is just as good as anything you can use at home. Consider hopping in the water after a hot or hard run and cooling off for five minutes or so.