Part 3: Cheetahs don't warm up in the wild, so why should I?

If you missed part 1 & 2 where we spoke about all things warm ups, what they actually do and what you should be doing, then you can catch them here and here, respectively.

This week we dive into the "cool-down" phenomenon. I'm sure many of you have heard of this before, maybe after a game of sport you were told to go for a cool down lap around the oval, or jump on the bike slowly for 10 minutes, or that it's imperative you stretch after you train! But where has this popular tradition come from, and what's the science behind them? Do we need a structured cool-down?

While there is clear, evidence-based research to support the validity and effectiveness of a warm-up for enhancing performance and possibly reducing the risk of injury, the same cannot be said for a cool-down.

A cool-down is characterized by a large reduction in intensity after an exercise session is over. The popular purported benefit of cooling down is to bring down the heart rate back down in a steady fashion while allowing the muscles to "flush out" metabolites.

Research has shown that warming up before exercise can slightly reduce Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) while a cool down does not reduce DOMS (Law & Herbert, 2007). Adding in a light jog or cycle etc after you exercise is either creating more stimulus, or not doing much.

So, what should I do after exercise?

Immediately after exercise, particularly intense cycling or running, lying down with the legs elevated may help accelerate the process of buffering the metabolite build up or eliminate blood pooling in the legs (some of our largest muscles), more effectively than a short exercise cool-down (Law & Herbert, 2007).

After this, the best thing you can do to recover from exercise is to transition from a sympathetic nervous system state (think fight or flight response - which is elevated when you exercise) to a parasympathetic state (think rest and digest). So, resting, reducing stress, breathwork, enjoying a meal with your friend (getting protein and micronutrients back in), are some of things that will likely be better than a formal exercise-based cool down.

Static stretching is not going to reduce the risk of injury any more than strength training (Nuzzo, 2020), but after a session it may not be a bad time to add it in, as it will help downregulate the nervous system and add in a bit of flexibility work that may otherwise get forgotten about. As mentioned in previous blogs, if you were to do static stretching, it's best done after a session rather than before, as it may reduce your subsequent power output.

In summary, the cool down is largely a myth that, like most myths in the fitness and exercise realms, keeps getting passed along without much thought given to its validity.

So, next time you finish a game or a session, don't feel like it's essential to jump on a bike for 10 minutes or do a mandatory half-arsed stretch. Better yet, if your coach tells you to do a cool-down, show him this blog! You will likely be better off just chilling and enjoying some relaxation time instead.