At training on Tuesday I said that I believe in a cool-down because, if for no other reason, it gets a little more distance under one's belt. Today I saw an article which talks about what lactate really is, and dispels the following myths:
"lactate causes soreness"
"I must cool down after I exercise to get the lactic acid out."
Rather, the author declares
"Lactate levels in the blood will be back to resting within ~ an hour, whether or not there is a cool-down"
"Lactic acid does not cause soreness"
"Exercise that causes soreness typically doesn't cause very high [La] (and vice versa)."
You can find the article at http://www.letsrun.com/2012/lactate-0906.php
The article doesn't discuss "is there value in a cool-down?" I remember my old coach Percy Cerutty used to point out that animals, when exhausted after a hard run, would recover by flopping down in the shade of a tree. Or by standing in a cold stream.
Percy didn't have much to say about stretching either. As you know, few animals lean against trees stretching before going for the kill.
I think warm-ups and stretching get more important as you age. Also important is the right kind of warm-up and stretching when you are sore. Here is a sequence of events I have had to resort to when very injured: Ice, then jog, then massage, then stretch, then ice, then voltarin (gel). The jog stops if/when the pain recurs.
We need to see the big picture. So here is an absolutely breathtaking view of the Milky Way as seen from Mars:
This made me snicker
Finally, there is light rain. It must be Thursday. I can run, I will be at PH for the early run today. See you there or at 5:30pm for the main session.
"lactate causes soreness"
"I must cool down after I exercise to get the lactic acid out."
Rather, the author declares
"Lactate levels in the blood will be back to resting within ~ an hour, whether or not there is a cool-down"
"Lactic acid does not cause soreness"
"Exercise that causes soreness typically doesn't cause very high [La] (and vice versa)."
You can find the article at http://www.letsrun.com/2012/lactate-0906.php
The article doesn't discuss "is there value in a cool-down?" I remember my old coach Percy Cerutty used to point out that animals, when exhausted after a hard run, would recover by flopping down in the shade of a tree. Or by standing in a cold stream.
Percy didn't have much to say about stretching either. As you know, few animals lean against trees stretching before going for the kill.
I think warm-ups and stretching get more important as you age. Also important is the right kind of warm-up and stretching when you are sore. Here is a sequence of events I have had to resort to when very injured: Ice, then jog, then massage, then stretch, then ice, then voltarin (gel). The jog stops if/when the pain recurs.
We need to see the big picture. So here is an absolutely breathtaking view of the Milky Way as seen from Mars:
Finally, there is light rain. It must be Thursday. I can run, I will be at PH for the early run today. See you there or at 5:30pm for the main session.
