Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?

RE: Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?

Former Member — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:44:14 GMT

According to Chris S. It should be a minimum of 50 yards. Every other workout or so.

RE: Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?

Chris Colburn — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:53:54 GMT

It's kinda funny... I just wrote an article for swimnetwork on this topic without even reading this debate first. After 20 years of coaching and almost 30 of swimming, my experience has shown me that I and my swimmers perform better in multiple bouts within the same day (and for multiple bouts over multiple days) with a good swim down after each event. I never saw this demonstrated as well as I did at one high school meet about 5 years ago (if Nadine's reading, she might remember this - it was a dual meet between our two girls' HS teams). We had two drop-dead sprinters of about the same speed who both swam the 50 free and 100 fly. Nadine's swimmer touched mine out in the 50. I sent my swimmer to swim down before the diving break while the other swimmer just laughed about swimming down. I specifically remember Nadine telling her, "you ought to swim down." So, as we're getting ready for the 100 fly, just before the race, I tell my swimmer, "Sit next to her for the first 50, and then go for it. If you take off on the second 50, watch what happens." Off the wall on the 3rd 25, my swimmer went for it, and Nadine's swimmer felt the proverbial piano land squarely on her back. It wasn't even close at the finish. Nadine's swimmer looked at me with a pained look after the race. I looked over and said, "maybe you should've swum down." Science may call it an old wives' tale, but it has worked for me and my swimmers for some years. While I'm all about change and new trends in training and science, if swimming down didn't work for us, I wouldn't have my folks do it. As with anything in this sport, your mileage may (and likely will) vary, so I say go with what works best for you.

RE: Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?

Former Member — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:30:10 GMT

I found this article on Cool Down: Swimming down is the most important recovery procedure You should always swim down for 10 to 20 minutes (600 to 1000 metres). Several studies have shown that recovery time will be halved by active recovery as compared to passive recovery. The mechanism of swimming down is explained by a much more pronounced decrease in blood lactate levels when applying active recovery methods, because blood flow through the muscels is maintained at a high level. Only when doing short sprint series, does passive recovery offer advantages . However, for the middle and long distance swimmer, swimming down is the preferred way to recover quickly. In addition, active recovery improves oxygen delivery to the muscles, which helps to replenish used up energy reserves (gluconeogenesis, fatty acid metabolism). Swimming down after a race ... It is not easy for coaches to persuade swimmers to swim down. In fact, it is more important to swim down than to collect your medals at the awards ceremony. In particular, this is important when you have more events on your agenda. Swimming down is the necessary prerequisite for further successful swims. Meeting organisers should take this into account when setting up meets schedules and choosing a pool complex (which they very rarely do). ... and after a work out The same principles apply for work outs, in particular, if you have been doing anaerobic or high intensity aerobic sets. Swimming down is fundamental for an efficient recovery. People who suffer from headaches after a work out should reconsider their swimming down practise. Quite often a headache comes from inadequate swimming down . Speed Swimming speed during recovery should range from 30to 50 % of your maximum speed, which is relatively slow, but fast enough to keep your blood circulation busy. As mentioned in the introduction, the recommended time lies between 10 and 20 minutes. Source: www.svl.ch

RE: Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?

rtodd — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:59:14 GMT

According to Chris S. It should be a minimum of 50 yards.

RE: Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?

rtodd — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:39:09 GMT

Paul, Wonder how this would translate to the next day's workout, not just in between sets.

RE: Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?

Paul Smith — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:32:31 GMT

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.

RE: Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?

Former Member — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:17:17 GMT

In a way this is misleading. Lactate removal to the bloodstream is not the only method by which lactate is broken down. Once oxygen is available again it breaks back into pyruvate and is shunted into the oxygen-dependent fuel cycle. So yes, tests show that lactate flow into the blood is slower when inactive, a result that could be just as due to decreased lactate production thanks to the lower metabolic rate of sitting vs swimming. The bloodstream is just a pathway for lactate to move from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration so that it can be converted as quickly as possible. The amount of lactate in the bloodstream is indicative of the amount in the body, and charting the amount over time gives an indication of how fast the body is recovering. I don't think Dr. G is trying to say that all lactic acid gets shipped to the liver for processing.

RE: Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?

Former Member — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:04:17 GMT

I think warming down is important to return gradually to a normal resting state, versus an abrupt cessation (working hard then getting out of the pool without a warm down). Besides the removal of LA from the blood, for me it helps me stretch my tight shoulders, tris, legs, and whatever else. When I run, I warm down by walking and stretching afterwards. I feel like, if you are questioning the need to warm down, is it because you feel like you don't have enough time (you need to get back to the office), or that warming down is a waste of time? Just my $0.02. I warm down with 4 x 50s after practice, nice and easy, really stretching those arms. After races, I do the same until I feel loose.

RE: Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?

Former Member — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:14:48 GMT

Here's a good presentation on lactate clearance and recovery swimming by Genadijus Sokolovas, former Director of Physiology for USA Swimming. The conclusions: Swimming at high velocity yields high amounts of lactate in the muscles. This has negative effects on the ability of the muscles to contract. In order for a swimmer to perform at maximal effort again, lactate must be removed Active recovery (swimming warm-down) is helpful for lactate removal. During passive recovery (i.e. sitting on the bench) lactate removal is very slow Duration of post-race recovery should be 25-30 min for sprinters, 20-25 min for middle distance swimmers, and 15-20 min for distance swimmers Swimming intensity during warm-down should be light for sprinters (about 50-55% of maximum 100 m swimming velocity), light to moderate for middle distance swimmers (55-60% of maximum 100 m swimming velocity), and moderate for distance swimmers (60-65% of maximum 100 m swimming velocity) The post-race recovery protocol should include straight swimming. Warm-down can be substituted with stretching if there is no warm-down pool available. Heart rate during stretching should be low (120-140 beats/min or 20-23 beats/10 sec) The warm-down protocols can also be used for workouts after hard swimming sets. A warm-down will help to recover faster before the next workout In a way this is misleading. Lactate removal to the bloodstream is not the only method by which lactate is broken down. Once oxygen is available again it breaks back into pyruvate and is shunted into the oxygen-dependent fuel cycle. So yes, tests show that lactate flow into the blood is slower when inactive, a result that could be just as due to decreased lactate production thanks to the lower metabolic rate of sitting vs swimming. Personally I think that muscle soreness is caused by damage to the cell tissue and that stiffness is caused by not stretching. It's obviously not lactate since even long practices that are swum below the lactate threshold (the point at which lactate in the blood spikes, most likely due to the rate of production exceeding the rate of use in the muscles) cause my muscles to be sore. I think that warm down takes the place of stretching, and thus are interchangeable (as Sokolovas points out). Personally I warm down about 50, sometimes 100, and focus on stretching out everything when I do it. It's hard to match stretching on land to stretching in the water because you don't stretch the exact same muscle fibers sitting on a mat as you would swimming freestyle.

RE: Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?

Former Member — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:50:35 GMT

This is my understanding, but the information has not recently entered my head, so it is worth double checking. jap.physiology.org/.../758 I double checked. Suddenly stopping exercise will cause a drop in blood pressure.

RE: Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?

aztimm — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 12:56:58 GMT

I basically got in the habit of warm-up and cool-down when I was in the army. We'd always start out with jumping jacks and other stuff like that (but we didn't call them jumping jacks). Then we'd move into the pushups, situps, etc...and then head out for the run. We'd always do some light stretching for about 5 min after we got back before they'd let us go. Since I don't always have even a day between workouts (sometimes just 12 hours), I find an easy 200 cool down after swimming keeps my legs from cramping, eases my arms, etc...so I can run or lift that night. Same thing after a run, I usually like to do a 3-5 min gradual cool down, into a walk (over the summer I even did a 2-300 easy swim after running). After races like the marathon and splash and dash, they usually have things setup to have cool-down almost mandatory. After the marathon, there was a winding fence with different stations periodically (some had bananas, oranges, ice cream, etc)...kept you walking through this before you could connect with outsiders. Whether or not I need it, if it makes me feel good, I'll continue doing it.

RE: Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?

Former Member — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 13:40:37 GMT

Yes, As Swimshark said in this thread especially if your older. Feelling a bit sick can occur if you dont cool off and its a common feeling, also more serious arrhythmias (abnormal heart beat) can occur with the heart beating fast for a period of swimming then the effort stopping suddenly. A cool off and slow down is a smart thing to do unless your a young well conditioned swimmer and just set a new world record and can jump right out of the pool looking at the time clock in amazement and excitement!

RE: Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?

Former Member — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 13:25:57 GMT

if you aren't sure why you are doing something, why are you doing it? That's a very good question. First, there's nothing wrong with cooling down swimming. Besides, you're right in thinking that it can often be seen one last occasion in a workout to book quality volume, as long as you make the effort of maintaining a good technique. Sometimes, hard sets leave you with an altered technique. Blood rush may alter flexibility and ability to swim smooth. Fatigued muscles etc, all bad for technique. Using the cooling down set to reshape the technique is smart, especially if you're working on improving some core aspects of your stroke. But the best answer to your question I guess is mostly about enjoying a smooth and relaxed swim, just for the sake of swimming, for sensations etc... Me, like I said earlier, after a tough workout, I like to swim down a little bit then change the environment. I wouldn't want to stick there for half a kilo or something. But that's me.

RE: Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?

Chris Stevenson — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:17:02 GMT

Chris, I have to admit due to time constraints I follow your blog warm down . Hey, today I did a whole 200. We'll see if it helps. :)

RE: Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?

rtodd — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 10:37:59 GMT

Chris, I have to admit due to time constraints I follow your blog warm down 100 and out.

RE: Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?

Former Member — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 08:47:32 GMT

I thought cool-down was a form of active recovery, meaning that you are exercising efficiently during a cool-down. In a larger sense, if you aren't sure why you are doing something, why are you doing it?

RE: Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?

ourswimmer — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 04:36:25 GMT

Heart rate during stretching should be low (120-140 beats/min or 20-23 beats/10 sec) 120-140 is low? I realize that some people get to much higher HRs at maximum exertion than I do, but surely even most of those sprinty people's HRs drop below 140 by the time they get out of the racing pool and into the warm-down pool. It's getting the HR back down below 90 that takes a little time.

RE: Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?

That Guy — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 02:57:11 GMT

Odd warmdown story: one day I was swimming in the lane next to a novice swimmer who had a coach there on the pool deck. After I finished my main set I started a 300 warmdown. When I flipped at the 50 mark, I could hear the coach yell GO. He had his swimmer do a 25 sprint, trying to race me. Even though I was warming down, it wasn't close since the guy was a novice. So then 50 yards later the cycle repeated. By the time I finished my 300, he had done 4 all-out 25's, racing me each time, and each with the same result. I hopped out and was breathing through my nose as the novice was gasping for air and looking demoralized. I felt bad for him. I'm not sure why his coach thought that was a good idea.

RE: Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?

Former Member — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:57:46 GMT

My :2cents: I am a huge believer in lots of easy swimming after intense work. After a long (for me) aerobic workout, I will swim 100 w/d. In between fast workout swims (say, 50s or 100s with lots of rest), I will swim almost all of the rest time. Even for a set like 6x 50 AFAP on 2:00, I will swim at least 1/2 way down and back after each. After a meet race, regardless of distance, I will swim at least 600 or 10-15 mins. All of this gives me the (false?) sense that I am helping to move the lactic acid, etc out of my system. YMMV.

RE: Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?

Former Member — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:51:44 GMT

It has been drilled into me that the cool-down is critical from a cardiovascular perspective. I do it religiously in workouts (genuinely pleasant) but I'm practically neurotic about it in meets. I have heart health concerns, but it does seem wise to wind down, especially as we age, as other posters have suggested.

RE: Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?

funkyfish — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:46:40 GMT

Does anyone know, could drill work count as cool down? Seems like it should, yes? :banana:

RE: Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?

Former Member — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:49:09 GMT

RE: Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?

Former Member — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:27:21 GMT

Didn't you just say that you are hopping out of the pool right after sprinting? Wouldn't that be the time that you should worry about blood pooling in your legs? :) Well, duh!! I guess I wasn't thinking about that! :blush: Also add the factor of going from water to the harsh reality of gravity. That is probably not good! Point well taken. So, how much of a cooldown does one need for safety? Will an easy 50 suffice? 200? 10 minutes?

RE: Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?

Former Member — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:23:39 GMT

Many of my workouts turn out to be chatting, relaxing, shower and hot tub.

RE: Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?

Former Member — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:16:47 GMT

Half of my own warmdown is in the hot shower; if we had a hot tub, I'd probably use that for the entire thing. :) I'm in your camp. 50m wdown for me is enough, then the rest of the wdown is done chatting, relaxing, shower and hot tub. But between the hard reps I do appreciate ez swims for the reasons you mentioned.