Injuries, fatigue and prevention: how to train worry-free

Kinesio taping, cryotherapy and compression clothing. These new prevention methods can actually help you improve your sports performance.

Over the last few years, there has been plenty of scientific research in the world of sport – swimming in particular – aimed at improving athletes’ performances. When we talk about performances, we are not just referring to racing and, hence, materials designed to make your swim technique more efficient. We are also talking about what happens just before and after races.

Recovery and injury prevention are two things that have really captured the attention of researchers, experts, and athletes. There are plenty of techniques for helping athletes recover from prolonged exertion and prevent them from getting annoying injuries, such as stretching or massages. Alongside these more conventional methods, some new remedies have caught on over recent years, which speed up recovery and allow athletes to regain fitness more quickly.

Let’s see what they are:

KINESIO TAPING METHOD

Kinesio taping is “a rehabilitation method designed to facilitate the body’s natural healing process while allowing support and stability to muscles and joints without restricting the body’s range of motion”.

We are talking about strips of tape applied in an “X” or “Y” pattern along fatigued and/or injured muscles that activate receptors in the muscular-sensory system, thereby relieving pain and facilitating lymphatic drainage. Kinesio Taping can also retrain the neuromuscular system, reduce pain and inflammation, optimize performance, prevent injuries and stimulate good circulation. ¹

CRYOTHERAPY

Cryotherapy or cold therapy is a commonly used anti-inflammatory treatment that has minor, short-term benefits. This method was first used by Hippocrates, the father of medicine, who prescribed cold-water treatment to relieve pain and inflammation. Over recent years, as published in the Emergency Medicine Journal and emedicine.medscape.com, cryotherapy has been used to treat inflammation and reduce muscular pain due to intense effort.

In the world of sports in particular, cryotherapy is a safe and easy method of treating injuries and helping fatigued muscles recover properly.

COMPRESSION CLOTHING

Last but not least in terms of importance, we have compression clothing designed to help during all three stages of training/racing:

1. PREPARATION: worn before training or racing, compression clothing helps optimize performance.

2. PREVENTION: compressed fabric supports the muscles and increases the blood flow before and after training and racing. This special clothing is designed to be effective on the most critical areas that are most susceptible to injury.

3. RECOVERY: compressed fabric helps fatigued muscles recover more quickly after exertion, increasing the supply of oxygenated blood and getting rid of toxins from the blood flow.

arena’s range of compression clothing is specifically aimed at swimmers. Exclusively designed to work on the most critical areas of the body for swimmers, it reduces the risk of injury and allows the body to prepare more effectively for racing, also speeding up recovery after intense exertion.

Find out more about arena’s compression garments!

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Sources:

¹ https://kinesiotaping.com/about/

² http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1125851-overview