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...
One of my coaches (Sheila Arredondo) worked at the Olympic Training Center for a number of years assisting with a number of testing projects they were doing with swimmers, I had sent this article to her right after it had come out and her is what she replied with the following:
"For what it's worth, we conducted a study with the Air Force swimmers long ago. All groups swam 3 x 400 descending. We measured heart rate, VO2, and lactate levels for each swim and 5 minutes following swim #3. Each group did a different cool-down: (1) sat on the side of the pool, (2) walked around the pool, (3) easy 65% swimming. Group 3 had the lowest 5 minute post-swim blood lactate levels, heart rates, and oxygen consumptions followed by group 2, then group 1. So, active cool-downs did accelerate recovery in this group.
Conclusion -- keep and individualize the cool-down."
I asked if she could get a cipy of the actual study and if she does will post.
One of my coaches (Sheila Arredondo) worked at the Olympic Training Center for a number of years assisting with a number of testing projects they were doing with swimmers, I had sent this article to her right after it had come out and her is what she replied with the following:
"For what it's worth, we conducted a study with the Air Force swimmers long ago. All groups swam 3 x 400 descending. We measured heart rate, VO2, and lactate levels for each swim and 5 minutes following swim #3. Each group did a different cool-down: (1) sat on the side of the pool, (2) walked around the pool, (3) easy 65% swimming. Group 3 had the lowest 5 minute post-swim blood lactate levels, heart rates, and oxygen consumptions followed by group 2, then group 1. So, active cool-downs did accelerate recovery in this group.
Conclusion -- keep and individualize the cool-down."
I asked if she could get a cipy of the actual study and if she does will post.
