Do We Need a Cool-Down After Exercise?

This review compares the effects of various types of active cool-downs with passive cool-downs on sports performance, injuries, long-term adaptive responses, and psychophysiological markers of post-exercise recovery.

Overtraining and the Immune System. How Much is Too Much?

Overdoing it, burning the candle at both ends, cooking the goose. Athletes are notoriously bad for knowing when to back off and take a break, but why is it that going just a little too hard on the training track can lead to illness that can destroy an athlete’s whole season? It’s no secret that… Continue reading Overtraining and the Immune System. How Much is Too Much?

Finnish Saunas to Finish First. Could passive heat acclimation build the freeway to form?

Saunas have been a hot health topic for decades now, with a bucket load of claimed benefits ranging from improving skin, sleep and general relaxation. Research on athletes shows that the adaptations from sweating are even sweeter for endurance performance than expected.     The most significant impact of saunas for athletes is the increased… Continue reading Finnish Saunas to Finish First. Could passive heat acclimation build the freeway to form?

Ice, Ice, Maybe… But probably not. The science has gone cold on ice baths for recovery.

Recent science tells us the supposed benefits of ice post-exercise are not all they’re cracked up to be, and that the short-term shrinkage isn’t giving any long-term gains.   Image Credit: Tomas Tomas via Flickr Sprinters, climbers and café racers are all looking for the best way to recover before their next training session, competition… Continue reading Ice, Ice, Maybe… But probably not. The science has gone cold on ice baths for recovery.