Hot Food and a Warm Bed Beats a Cold Tub any Day
Hot Food and a Warm Bed Beats a Cold Tub any Day
By Dan McCarthy, USA Swimming High Performance Consultant
This past summer, the USA Swimming Medical Staff and High Performance Staff supported three international meets over the course of 35 days. It was an amazing opportunity not only to watch and assist Team USA, but also a chance to see how our athletes go about their business of swimming fast and recovering for their next race.
After a cool-down swim, our athletes use three recovery practices at the pool: 1.Post-race snack (food and drink)
2.Massage/compression (Therapists/Normatec units)
3.Cold Water Immersion (Cold Tub)
Once the athletes were back at the village they had three recovery choices:
1.Sleep
2.Food
3.Massage (limited)
After a race, hopping in for a good cool down and grabbing a snack and a recovery drink are nearly universal practices. Massage is more common at the elite level for older athletes, and cold water immersion is growing in popularity. There is a hierarchy of recovery practices, and it is probably never a good idea to sacrifice something at the top of the list for something on the bottom.
Learn more here:
After a cool-down swim, our athletes use three recovery practices at the pool: 1.Post-race snack (food and drink)
2.Massage/compression (Therapists/Normatec units)
3.Cold Water Immersion (Cold Tub)
Once the athletes were back at the village they had three recovery choices:
1.Sleep
2.Food
3.Massage (limited)
After a race, hopping in for a good cool down and grabbing a snack and a recovery drink are nearly universal practices. Massage is more common at the elite level for older athletes, and cold water immersion is growing in popularity. There is a hierarchy of recovery practices, and it is probably never a good idea to sacrifice something at the top of the list for something on the bottom.
Learn more here:
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