Methods of recovery

• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

  A blood clot in one of the deep veins in the body.
• Soft tissue.

  Includes tendons, ligaments, muscles, nerves and blood vessels.
• Fascia.

  A layer of fibrous connective tissue which surrounds the muscle or group of muscles.
• Oedema.

  A build-up of fluid which causes swelling.
• Non-REM sleep (NREM).


  Means there is no rapid eye movement. It consists of three stages of sleep which get progressively deeper.
• How does an ice bath help a performer to recover?

  Sitting in ice cold water for 20 minutes:

  Causes blood vessels to tighten (vasoconstriction)

  Restricts blood flow to the area

  Reduces swelling and aids muscle repair

  After leaving the bath, the area is flooded with new blood (vasodilation)

  Fresh oxygen removes lactic acid.
• Why is sleep important for improved recovery? (3)

  More sleep needed following a heavy exercise programme.

  Deep sleep rebuilds the damage done to muscles.

  Deep sleep is where the blood is directed towards the muscles to restore energy.

  8+ hours as a guide for an elite athlete.
• Explain the use of an ice bath as a method of recovery from exercise.


  • Involves sitting in ice cold water for between 5 and 10 minutes

  • Causes blood vessels to tighten/vasoconstrict,

  restricting blood flow to the area

  • Reduces swelling/tissue breakdown and aids

  muscle repair

  • After leaving the ice bath, area is flooded with new blood/vasodilation

  • Removes lactic acid
• Why is sleep important for improved recovery after exercise?

  • More sleep is needed following a heavy

  exercise programme.

  • A deep sleep rebuilds the damage done to

  muscle cells.

  • Blood is directed towards the muscles to

  restore energy.

  • 8+ hours is a guide for an elite athlete.
• The use of ice baths and cryotherapy can aid recovery. Analyse which of these methods you think is the most effective and give reasons why. (4)

  • Both methods use the same principle of using cold temperatures to aid recovery

  • through vasoconstriction of the blood vessels

  • therefore reducing inflammation and blood

  flow and

  • getting rid of waste products such as lactic acid.

  • The value of ice baths is that anyone can use

  one (you can do it at home).

  • Cryotherapy chambers are only available to

  elite athletes.

  • Cryotherapy is less time-consuming

  • Returns the body back to normal quicker.
• List 5 methods of recovery from exercise

  Compression garments

  Massage

  Foam rollers

  Ice baths

  Cryotherapy
• Compression garments


  Used to improve blood circulation and prevent deep vein thrombosis.
• Massage


  Prevents or relieves soft tissue injuries. It increased blood flow to soft tissue so more oxygen and nutrients can pass through to help repair any damage. It also removes lactic acid and relieves tension and pressure by stretching soft tissue. It breaks down scar tissue.
• Foam rollers


  Self-massage to release tension and tightness in a muscle to prevent injury and improve mobility.
• Ice bath

  5-10 minutes to cause vasoconstriction and reduce blood flow to the area. Once you leave the bath, the legs fill up with new blood (vasodilation) that invigorates the muscles with oxygen to help the cells funciton better. The blood that leaves the legs takes away with it the lactic acid that has built up during the activity.
• List two types of cold therapy and why they are used to recover after exercise.


  Ice baths and Cryotherapy.

  It can target minor aches and pains. Cooling the surface gives pain relief and causes vasoconstriction which decreases blood flow and reduces any bleeding or swelling. This gives it more movement. It can also decrease muscle spasms by decreasing motor activity, as the speed ot the nerve impulse slows down in cold conditions.
• Sleep for recovery

  Deep sleep needed for muscle recovery, especially NRM sleep which is the third and deepest stage where brain waves are at their lowest and the blood flow is directed away from the brain towards the muscles to restore energy and to repair the damage done to muscle cells. 8-9 hours is ideal.
• Nutrition for recovery

  After exercise, muscle glycogen stores decrease so they need to be replenished when exercise is finished. Should be done in 20 minute window after exercise because the body is most able to restore lost glycogen which will enhance performance the next day.