Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?
Full article here:
www.nytimes.com/.../15best.html
Excerpt:
The idea of the cool-down seems to have originated with a popular theory — now known to be wrong — that muscles become sore after exercise because they accumulate lactic acid. In fact, lactic acid is a fuel. It’s good to generate lactic acid, it’s a normal part of exercise, and it has nothing to do with muscle soreness. But the lactic acid theory led to the notion that by slowly reducing the intensity of your workout you can give lactic acid a chance to dissipate...
Parents
Former Member
This is a really interesting thread...
I never considered the possibility that warming down "properly" could be unnecessary; all my various coaches through years of age group and high school swimming stressed its importance to the point that it was pretty much indoctrinated into the exercise routine.
I am afraid to cut back on the warm down though (even though I often skimp and only warm down ~200 yds/meters after a workout) - if not for soreness factor or how i'll feel tomorrow, but just for helping to make the transition from workout mode to real life mode.
This is a really interesting thread...
I never considered the possibility that warming down "properly" could be unnecessary; all my various coaches through years of age group and high school swimming stressed its importance to the point that it was pretty much indoctrinated into the exercise routine.
I am afraid to cut back on the warm down though (even though I often skimp and only warm down ~200 yds/meters after a workout) - if not for soreness factor or how i'll feel tomorrow, but just for helping to make the transition from workout mode to real life mode.
