Necessity of Cool Down's
COOL DOWN
After intense exercise, a cool down period helps circulation, lactic acid levels, and other body functions to return to normal gradually.
If a soccer player suddenly stops moving after intense exercise, he will feel faint and possibly see stars. During exercise the blood vessels taking blood to working tissue expand along with the increase in heart rate and blood flow, during exercise the blood flow to the working tissues is 4 - 6 times higher than at rest. Muscle contraction
aids in returning the blood to the heart so when the player suddenly stops running, blood gets stranded in the
lower body and there is not enough to feed the brain, this causes a light-headed feeling and sometimes fainting.
Lactic acid levels can increase to five times their resting levels during intense exercise. The slow removal of the excess lactic acid can cause post-exercise soreness. To avoid this discomfort lactic acid levels should be lowered as soon as possible. While some lactic acid goes to the liver and is made into glucose, most of it reverts to pyruvate, enters the mitochondria and is broken down through the aerobic system to provide energy for low-intensity work. Inactivity after exercise lowers the need for energy and lactic acid clearance will be slowed considerably.
But, if the cool down consists of moderate to light exercise, the energy from the lactic acid will be used more
rapidly and the post-exercise soreness will be less.
The 10 to 15 minute cool down period immediately after exercise should consist of one or two jogging laps of the field and a period of stretching. If the recovery exercise is too intense it will be of no benefit and may even prolong recovery by increasing the lactic acid build up. Remember, the laps are not a victory charge, a race, punishment, or time to show how fit you are.
Start them slowly and end even slower.
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