<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Cryotherapy in sports: Benefits and how to apply it in running</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><br />When it comes to physical recovery there are many methods, all of them very varied. In this article we are going to deal with cryotherapy, a method linked to invisible training used for years and which is now taking on a lot of strength, as we have all seen Cristiano Ronaldo put into a machine at extremely low temperatures or athletes like Michael Phelps in inflatable pools filled with ice after his training at the Olympics.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Cryotherapy is nothing more than the use of cold as a therapeutic means that produces the destruction of tissue in an effective and controlled way. In the sports context it is used as a way to control edema and inflammation associated with an injury, minimize fatigue and promote recovery for athletes.</p>
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<p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><strong>Physiological effects of cryotherapy</strong></p>
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<p style="text-align: justify;">Decrease in body temperature, influences performance positively as long as there is no reduction of more than 2&ordm;C in pre-cooling.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><br />Reduction of tissue extension due to lack of oxygen.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><br />Reduction of edemas and inflammations due to the reduction of blood flow.<br />Analgesia due to increased pain threshold and muscle spasm, thus causing muscle relaxation.<br />Vasoconstriction due to increased blood pressure, followed by vasodilation.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><strong>Types of application</strong></p>
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<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>Ice bags:&nbsp;A very accessible method that allows for more intense cooling. Its duration will be 20-40 minutes, with a direct application on the skin holding it with bandages.</li>
<li>Wet cloths:&nbsp;They are applied over very large areas, but have the disadvantage of having to be changed after a few minutes because of their loss of cold.</li>
<li>Cold baths:&nbsp;One of the most used in the sport, can be made of complete body or of partial way submerging in the water maintaining this one to a temperature between 10-20&ordm;C.</li>
<li>Cold gels.</li>
<li>Cold steam sprays:&nbsp;They produce a spray of cold air on the skin so they do not act in depth.</li>
<li>Cryomassage:&nbsp;Ice blocks are used to make slow and energetic movements on the affected area. The temperature should not be less than 15&ordm;C and the application time should be around 10 minutes.</li>
<li>Cryokinetics:&nbsp;It is a technique that combines the application of cold with active exercise, widely used in sports physiotherapy.</li>
<li>Cold baths</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Having written the different techniques used in cryotherapy, we are going to focus on cold baths; this technique is easy to apply and does not have an excessive cost. Its application mode is very varied and as for its results, a better benefit is obtained than with other techniques and it can be used in cryokinetics.</p>
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<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>When can cryotherapy be used?</strong></p>
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<p style="text-align: justify;">This technique can be used at any time, but it will have different purposes.&nbsp;When used before physical exercise, it will produce a cooling of the body, reducing heat stress on the thermoregulatory system and the appearance of thermally induced fatigue, ideal for competitions or training in very hot places.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The best known and most used form is after physical exercise which produces an improvement in the recovery of the athlete by increasing its speed, reducing and preventing muscle pain, reducing inflammation, ...</p>
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<p style="text-align: justify;">How to apply cold bath cryotherapy</p>
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<p style="text-align: justify;">The immersion in the water will be slow and progressive.&nbsp;The duration will vary depending on the objectives of the bath, ranging from a few seconds as is the case with partial baths to 15-20 minutes in general baths for the treatment of pain, edema or muscle spasms.&nbsp;A warm-up or some physical exercise should be done before the bath.&nbsp;It should not produce pain, redness, pallor, ...&nbsp;It should be repeated 2-4 times a day every 2-3 hours.&nbsp;Contraindications of cryotherapy</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Just as this method is beneficial, it can also lead to injury, so care should be taken with people with</p>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>Hypersensitivity to cold</li>
<li>Hyposensitivity to cold</li>
<li>Dermatological conditions</li>
<li>Dive time</li>
<li>Hypertension, heart failure, lung failure</li>
<li></li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Conclusion</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><br />The cold is an ideal form of recovery both physical and mostly acute injuries preventing the appearance of secondary injuries, we must take into account all indications and contraindications established in order to obtain the objectives set with this technique.&nbsp;We want to emphasize that the use of all these techniques, must be used under the supervision of qualified personnel because of the risk that their bad use supposes.&nbsp;For all this and more this technique has great importance for the recovery and prevention of injuries in the sports field. Mor info at&nbsp;<a href="https://cryosenseusa.com/sports-cryotherapy/">https://cryosenseusa.com/sports-cryotherapy/</a></p>