What are the benefits of cooling down after a race?

You don't have to cool down at all. The lactic will leave your legs pretty quick anyway.

while benefits of cooldown can't be objectively measured you can't go wrong doing it!

For me after racing, some type of "cooldown" IS helpful because it:

1- helps get rid of any headache from racing EXTREMELY hard

2- seems to shake out the legs from feeling full of what feels like battery acid

3- moving however slow keeps blood/system flowing, muscles loose, so NOT incredibly TIGHT the next day(s)

4-serves as a great gradual transition from racing at ALL-OUT speed down to comfortable speed - again so you're NOT tight the next day (most have found it is awful feeling to go from kicking an all-out race at 4, 5 or 6 minute pace, lie-down or BENDover with hands on knees at the finishing chute, sit down, and never get up the rest of the day)

5-can tack on a little extra mileage for the day if you need it

There was an article that just came out in NY Times featured here at LRC saying cooldown may be useless. I say that while there is no objective reason as to its benefit, common sense from what I've said above tells you some kind of a "cool down" even if it's just stumbling 3min or so jogging back to your car after a race is very sound advice. I also say we need to STOP LOOKING FOR SHORTCUTS in our running and some kind of cooldown has been practiced by all elites and all runners know to do it just intuitively/instinctively just by the nature of how sensible it seems to be after a BALLs TO THE WALLS type effort.

Now doing a cooldown after a progression type training run or long run probably isn't necessary. you can just end the run there if you want. But Doing a cooldown after a track workout - good idea

MINIMUM TIME COOLING DOWN (my recommendation): 'bout 3 minute jog

MAX TIME COOLING DOWN: whatever you feel like

No one knows the optimum cooldown period, but generally you cant go wrong with 15-20 minutes or so because it's a nice number and seems to FEEL RIGHT...

RE: What are the benefits of cooling down after a race?

bloody.fuk.all

OK HERE's how id propose to do the study (VERY SILLY THOUGH)

Select runners randomly as they are crossing the finishline after an ALL-OUT effort,,, and while runners are standing in the finishing chute,

Assign one group to the strap down group:

strap them down to a gurney with straightjacket for 24 hours and you could hold them committed at a mental hospital or drunk tank during this time.

Assign the second group to a usual 10-15 minute cooldown

The rest have them do a regular 10-15 minute cooldown, or whatever it is they do. Allow to go home for the night and go about their usual business (jerking off, video games, whatever)

THE NEXT DAY:

Then, bring both groups (tied down and FREE) back for testing. Compare results. I'm pretty sure the team of FREE runners will perform relatively better the team of TIED DOWN runners compared to previous day's race. Some of the TIED DOWN runners (e.g. like a 1st place finishing Nicole Blood) may still beat a majority of runners despite being assigned to the TIED DOWN group, but the FREE runners will finish comparatively much better the next day than the TIED DOWN runners will.

As you get older and hopefully faster, you'll realize the importance of a cool down.

When I was a child, I was told it's like cleaning ashes out of the fireplace.

Race winners always cool down for 1 lap.

However, it seems no one has shown any physical benefits to cooling down.

But there could be some psychological aspects to actively winding down after the excitement a race, or an opportunity for team building as everyone can cool down together.

personally my hamstrings and calves cramp if I cool down less than 15 minutes.

Thanks for all the replies. Any other thoughts?

Maybe it's not applicable to high school kids running 5Ks, but I read, in Lore of Running, that some marathoners collapse after finishing a marathon on a hot day, due to an "exercise-induced low blood pressure".

Perhaps going straight to a "cool-down" here could avoid that.

Exactly. Gradual shift in BP/HR. Reduce blood pooling effect, active recovery over passive recovery. All even more important as you get older. As a result is a 2-3 mile warm down necessary? I think not. But you can probably get it done in 6-12 minutes.

will someone take on the study??? UMass Lowell has a BALLIN' exercise physiology and mechanics dept and so does Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU)... OR Ball State University????

This is GENIOUS!

bump

A 10 minute walk will do just as well as running after a race if you are worried about your heart and blood pressure.

What is more important is starting at a very slow pace on your next run until you get loosened up. Your muscles are tight for a reason. There has been some damage done to the fibers and pain is a way of keeping you from running too hard until the damage has been repaired.

Jogging for a cooldown will in no way help the damaged muscles and may even damage them more requiring a longer recovery.

GENIUS.

It would be interesting to see a proper study on this

After our last race of the season I tell the kids they don't have to go do a cooldown jog if they didn't want to. This year the older kids on the team did it anyway and advised the younger ones to do the same. The quote: "you'll feel like crap tomorrow if you don't". Simple as that.

As far as why, I don't really care. How much you need is probably less than most people do, but on the other hand it can't really hurt you.

If you simply stop dead cold after a race, your blood pressure drops quickly. Blood pools in the lower legs. If there is not enough blood being pumped back into the heart, it will freeze up and cause a heart attack.

It costs nothing to jog around after a race and is cheap insurance, even if you never need it.