AFTER strenuous physical activity, it's important to allow the body to recover. Recovery plays a crucial role in enabling athletes to maintain their level of fitness, improve future performance and prevent injury. Here's a roundup of the recovery methods most used by champions.
These recovery techniques enable athletes to keep up with the physical stresses of a succession of matches or meets. While doctors and health professionals are commonly seen on the sidelines attending to athletes, some recovery methods are still little known to the general public.
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy, or cold therapy, has become a go-to method for many athletes. According to the British Journal of Sports Medicine, at the London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, ice packs and compression pumps accounted for four to seven per cent of medical procedures. The use of ice can take the form of packs applied to specific areas of the body or on a larger scale by immersing the whole body in a cold bath.
Initially developed to treat chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases, cryotherapy stimulates physiological reactions that promote muscle recovery, according to a study published in the journal Kinesitherapy.
By exposing the body to extremely low temperatures for a few minutes, this technique is said to reduce inflammation, increase blood flow, improve respiratory capacity and reduce muscle soreness. Cryotherapy also reduces the build-up of lactic acid in muscles, helping athletes to recover more quickly.
Hydrotherapy
Plunge into a hot bath or be massaged by water jets -- these are two forms of hydrotherapy. Used since ancient Greece, this method improves blood circulation, reduces inflammation, eliminates toxins after exercise and eases aches and pains.
For many athletes, hydrotherapy involves alternating hot and cold baths. To treat injuries and combat inflammation, the affected area should be immersed several times and for several minutes in lukewarm or even hot water for three to five minutes, then in cold water for 30 to 60 seconds, as Dr James Munro explains on Tiktok.
Famous, multiple medal-winning American gymnast Simone Biles shared her recovery sessions during the 2024 Olympic Games, most of which involve contact with water. Hydrotherapy doesn't just feel good, it's essential for muscle recovery.
Cupping therapy
Have you ever noticed strange circular marks on some athletes' bodies? They are the result of cupping therapy, also known as hijama. This ancient technique uses suction cups to create suction on the skin, which improves blood circulation and relaxing muscles. Athletes such as Florent Manaudou use this method, which is said to have analgesic and relaxing effects. It also releases toxins and reduces inflammation.
However, the science of cupping therapy remains under-researched, and the scientific community has not come to a consensus about its results. "Cupping can cause side effects such as persistent skin discolouration, scars, burns and infections, and may worsen eczema or psoriasis," warns the National Institutes of Health in the USA.
Hyperbaric oxygen treatment
Hyperbaric chambers are used to increase atmospheric pressure and improve tissue oxygenation. Breathing pure oxygen in a pressurised environment promotes healing of wounds and improves muscle recovery by increasing oxygen concentration in the blood.
"The issue of oxygen supply is very important when you've torn a muscle or have minor muscle damage (soreness) and want to recover or avoid fatigue. It allows you to assimilate training loads more quickly and avoid accumulating fatigue in the broad sense of the term," explained Dr Jean-Bernard Fabre in an article in Le Parisien in 2021.
This technique is used by many top athletes, such as Lebron James or Neymar, after injuries or intense competition.
Massage guns
Massage guns, or percussion massagers, have become popular tools for recovery. Using rapid percussion to massage muscles deeply, these devices reduce tension and improve blood circulation. According to the NIH, massage guns are effective instruments "for stiffness reduction, range of motion and strength improvements after a fatigue protocol."
Easy to use, they allow athletes to treat sore muscles at any time.
Each method has its own followers and benefits, but they all share a common goal: to help athletes recover faster and more efficiently to stay at the top of their game.