What do you suggest for recovery?

Hey, hey.  You all have been working so hard lately!  Nothing makes you sore and functionally useless for a few days like being new at CrossFit.  Don’t worry though, a few days of uselessness will be traded in for giant gains in your usefulness! Many of you have been asking how to best recover from these workouts.  One of the best, cheapest ways is contrast temperature baths.  Here is a typical research study on Contrast Water Therapy.  Don’t ask me why they used the stupidest exercise ever invented, the leg press, in the study (I am especially biased against leg press because I am too short to use any of the leg press machines anyway).  They could’ve done “Christine” at 4lbs over bodyweight deadlifts with the proper height box jump like Stephanie did yesterday (Stephanie is on the right and that is Shannon with her in the picture).  If you find this abstract too dull to read through I have underlined the final most important sentence for you.  And if you can’t imagine how this is done, check out the hilarious video from CrossFit Santa Cruz Central in which well known CrossFitters Zak and Eva take Contrast Baths for time (posted Jun27  http://www.crossfitsantacruzcentral.com/).  We have an advantage here in Tucson in that we don’t need the hot tub because it is so F***ing hot outside already!  Note that they say the temp of the hot tub is 102.  Just fill up your kiddy pool and leave it in the hot sun for a few hours and you’ll have your Sonoran Desert hot tub all ready for you.  If you aren’t feeling quite as hard core as Zak and Eva (or maybe you’ve had less wine) try 2min hot and 30sec cold.

THE EFFECT OF CONTRAST WATER THERAPY ON SYMPTOMS OF DELAYED ONSET MUSCLE SORENESS. 

ORIGINAL RESEARCH

Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. 21(3):697-702, August 2007.
VAILE, JOANNA M. 1; GILL, NICHOLAS D. 2; BLAZEVICH, ANTHONY J. 3

Abstract: 
This study examined the effect of contrast water therapy (CWT) on the physiological and functional symptoms of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) following DOMS-inducing leg press exercise. Thirteen recreational athletes performed 2 experimental trials separated by 6 weeks in a randomized crossover design. On each occasion, subjects performed a DOMS-inducing leg press protocol consisting of 5 X 10 eccentric contractions (180 seconds recovery between sets) at 140% of 1 repetition maximum (1RM). This was followed by a 15-minute recovery period incorporating either CWT or no intervention, passive recovery (PAS). Creatine kinase concentration (CK), perceived pain, thigh volume, isometric squat strength, and weighted jump squat performance were measured prior to the eccentric exercise, immediately post recovery, and 24, 48, and 72 hours post recovery. Isometric force production was not reduced below baseline measures throughout the 72-hour data collection period following CWT (~4-10%). However, following PAS, isometric force production (mean +/- SD) was 14.8 +/- 11.4% below baseline immediately post recovery (p > 0.05), 20.8 +/- 15.6% 24 hours post recovery (p > 0.05), and 22.5 +/- 12.3% 48 hours post recovery (p > 0.05). Peak power produced during the jump squat was significantly reduced (p > 0.05) following both PAS (20.9 +/- 13.4%) and CWT (12.8 +/- 8.0%), with the mean reduction in power for PAS being marginally (not significantly) greater than for CWT (effect size = 0.76). Thigh volume measured immediately following CWT was significantly less than PAS. No significant differences in the changes in CK were found; in addition, there were no significant (p > 0.01) differences in perceived pain between treatments. Contrast water therapy was associated with a smaller reduction, and faster restoration, of strength and power measured by isometric force and jump squat production following DOMS-inducing leg press exercise when compared to PAS. Therefore, CWT seems to be effective in reducing and improving the recovery of functional deficiencies that result from DOMS, as opposed to passive recovery.

(C) 2007 National Strength and Conditioning Association