An Evidence-Based Approach to Utilizing Cold Therapies for Post-Exercise Recovery

Whilst cold therapies such as cold-water immersion are regularly used in practice, the practical application does not always align with best practices. In this commentary, we highlight the key components of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) Expert Statement on the use of...

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Main Authors: Adam Grainger, James J. Malone, Joseph T. Costello, Chris M. Bleakley, Robert Allan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-10-01
Series:Physiologia
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9488/4/4/24
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author Adam Grainger
James J. Malone
Joseph T. Costello
Chris M. Bleakley
Robert Allan
author_facet Adam Grainger
James J. Malone
Joseph T. Costello
Chris M. Bleakley
Robert Allan
author_sort Adam Grainger
collection DOAJ
description Whilst cold therapies such as cold-water immersion are regularly used in practice, the practical application does not always align with best practices. In this commentary, we highlight the key components of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) Expert Statement on the use of cooling therapies for post-exercise recovery and provide additional discussion on the empirical evidence and rationale that informed our perspective. We developed a series of specific questions to ensure that cold therapy recovery protocols are context-specific and tailored to the needs of the individual athletes. These questions, which cover the WHEN, WHAT, and HOW of cold therapy, were central to the development of the Expert Statement. This was presented as a decision tree to ensure that key messages could be concisely disseminated across a range of sporting environments and populations (e.g., gyms, locker rooms, and treatment rooms), supporting and informing decision-making for those wanting to use cold therapy to assist their recovery in line with previously published peer-reviewed work. Discussion points included the suitability of cooling therapies in some contexts, how athletes’ choice of cooling mode should be largely driven by practicalities (e.g., budget and availability), and, lastly, future research directions.
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spelling doaj-art-541c96a0cc4b4d78a27a96078481a18e2024-12-27T14:47:34ZengMDPI AGPhysiologia2673-94882024-10-014438739210.3390/physiologia4040024An Evidence-Based Approach to Utilizing Cold Therapies for Post-Exercise RecoveryAdam Grainger0James J. Malone1Joseph T. Costello2Chris M. Bleakley3Robert Allan4Institute of Sport and Health, University College Dublin, Bellfield, D04 V1W8 Dublin, IrelandSchool of Health and Sport Sciences, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool L16 9JD, UKExtreme Environments Laboratory, School of Psychology, Sport and Health Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2UP, UKFaculty of Life and Health Sciences, Ulster University, Belfast BT15 1ED, UKSchool of Health, Social Work and Sport, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2HE, UKWhilst cold therapies such as cold-water immersion are regularly used in practice, the practical application does not always align with best practices. In this commentary, we highlight the key components of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) Expert Statement on the use of cooling therapies for post-exercise recovery and provide additional discussion on the empirical evidence and rationale that informed our perspective. We developed a series of specific questions to ensure that cold therapy recovery protocols are context-specific and tailored to the needs of the individual athletes. These questions, which cover the WHEN, WHAT, and HOW of cold therapy, were central to the development of the Expert Statement. This was presented as a decision tree to ensure that key messages could be concisely disseminated across a range of sporting environments and populations (e.g., gyms, locker rooms, and treatment rooms), supporting and informing decision-making for those wanting to use cold therapy to assist their recovery in line with previously published peer-reviewed work. Discussion points included the suitability of cooling therapies in some contexts, how athletes’ choice of cooling mode should be largely driven by practicalities (e.g., budget and availability), and, lastly, future research directions.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9488/4/4/24cold therapiesrecoveryreal-world application
spellingShingle Adam Grainger
James J. Malone
Joseph T. Costello
Chris M. Bleakley
Robert Allan
An Evidence-Based Approach to Utilizing Cold Therapies for Post-Exercise Recovery
Physiologia
cold therapies
recovery
real-world application
title An Evidence-Based Approach to Utilizing Cold Therapies for Post-Exercise Recovery
title_full An Evidence-Based Approach to Utilizing Cold Therapies for Post-Exercise Recovery
title_fullStr An Evidence-Based Approach to Utilizing Cold Therapies for Post-Exercise Recovery
title_full_unstemmed An Evidence-Based Approach to Utilizing Cold Therapies for Post-Exercise Recovery
title_short An Evidence-Based Approach to Utilizing Cold Therapies for Post-Exercise Recovery
title_sort evidence based approach to utilizing cold therapies for post exercise recovery
topic cold therapies
recovery
real-world application
url https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9488/4/4/24
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