Cryotherapy: An alternative detraining method
Intensity and rehabilitation are two of the most important aspects to consider, to maintain balance. “Detraining” is often neglected, as we have limited time to train or have the impression that rest is not that important and doesn’t add things up to our perfomance. After each competition, athletes should cool down their body. During the weekly workouts, they should also detrain, as it helps them become more agile. Also, a few days before the competition, they should do lots of rehabilitation to be ready for their final performance. So, despite what some of us may think, rehabilitation is a fundamental part of training and plays a major role in an athlete’s performance. If we were to design a rehabilitation pyramid, we would put cryotherapy at the top! Then we would put sleep, hydration, and nutrition. Cryotherapy can’t be effective without those three.
Benefits of cryotherapy
- Reduces muscle pain and strain
- Improves joint function
- Increases lymphatic circulation
- Provides faster training comeback
- Treats musculoskeletal injuries
- Increases energy levels
Although there are numerous benefits in cryotherapy, it is still a controversial method and most research suggests that it should be individualized.
What we need to know
- The individual’s fitness level (whether they are trained or not)
- How long and at what temperature they should remain in the water (usually 2×5 minutes at 10˚C)
- Their training season, as recent research has shown that during the preparation period, it is best to avoid cryotherapy, since it affects muscle mass growth.
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