Monday, April 23, 2012

Icing Can Be Counterproductive


RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevate) is the traditional recipe to rebuild muscle strength.  However, icing may not always be in the best interest of the athlete.  A study showed that returning to workouts shortly after icing will reduce physical performance and increase injury risk.  The decrease in performance is due to slower nerve impulses in the muscles caused by ice.  Also, due to the decreased performance by muscles, athletes may push their “slow” muscles beyond their limits in attempts to reach typical performance, which may increase the chance of hurting your muscles.

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