Boston Sports Medicine and Performance Group, LLC Blog

Post-exercise recovery

Posted by Boston Sports Medicine and Performance Group on Mon, Mar 2, 2015 @ 07:03 AM

 

 

ICEBATH

 

Effects of whole-body cryostimulation exposure in sport and medicine

 

- Written by Christophe Hausswirth, France (@HausswirthC)

Article orginally published on Aspetar.com

 

Elite athletes often train intensitively or compete over consecutive days. Cumulative fatigue over such periods of training or competition can reduce athletic performance. Adequate recovery between training sessions and/or competitive events is therefore essential to minimise the risk of fatigue and optimise performance. In this context, the use of whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) as a tool to aid recovery shows benefits on some inflammatory parameters, possible improvement of antioxidant status and improvements in mood and mild depression. Heating the body is supposed to be beneficial to athletes' recovery, to treat muscle pain and as part of rehabilitation after injury. It has been already demonstrated that WBC stimulates the physiological reactions of an organism which results in analgesic, anti-swelling, antalgic immune and circulatory system reactions and could improve recovery after muscular trauma injury. Definition is needed as to the precise context in which athletes may use this tool to optimise recovery in relation to improving sleep patterns, optimising the parasympathetic system and increasing their general well-being.

 

INTRODUCTION

Exercise-related stress is often increased due to environmental conditions, particularly those relating to temperature changes. For every sporting activity there is an ideal ambient temperature. Any deviation from this reference temperature will have a negative impact on performance.

 

Indeed, physical activity in a warm or cold atmosphere means that the body and the mechanisms involved in temperature regulation have to work harder. Although very effective, these thermoregulatory mechanisms may not be able to cope with extreme conditions.

 

They do, however, allow the body to adapt during chronic exposure. Artificial cooling of ambient temperature is an evolving technique, both to prepare athletes for competitions in difficult conditions and to improve the body’s recovery capacity.

 

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND FOR WHOLE-BODY CRYOSTIMULATION

The first very low temperature cold rooms appeared in Japan in 1989, when Yamauchi used a cryogenic chamber to treat rheumatism. The indications for WBC were subsequently extended to various inflammatory conditions. WBC was then offered to treat pain and prevent post-traumatic oedema, with exposure limited to to 2 to 3 minutes.

 

One of the most well-established physiological responses to cold exposure is triggered by the decrease in skin temperature, promptly stimulating cutaneous receptors and their sensory afferents to excite sympathetic adrenergic fibres, in turn causing the constriction of local arterioles and venules. The resulting decrease in blood flow to the periphery or injured/inflammed tissues reduces local metabolic processes, thereby attenuating the inflammatory response and the formation of oedema around the injured tissues1.

 

Reported reasons for using WBC include decreased joint pain and disorders, improved general well-being, decreased fatigue perception2 and reduced symptoms of psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression3. WBC is also extensively used in self-treatment or body hardening against respiratory tract infections and musculoskeletal pain4, as well as parasympathetic reactivation after intensive exercise5.

 

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Register TODAY for the 2015 BSMPG Summer Seminar before seats fill up.

 

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Topics: Marco Cardinale, Steve Tashjian

2015 CATAPULT Performance Directors Meeting - Welcomes Steve Tashjian - Player Monitoring for Peak Performance

Posted by Boston Sports Medicine and Performance Group on Mon, Dec 8, 2014 @ 07:12 AM

 

BSMPG is proud to announce STEVE TASHJIAN as a speaker at the 2015 CATAPULT Performance Directors Meeting - Sunday May 17th, 2015 - Fenway Park.

Join the leaders in Sports Medicine and Performance Training for this one day event following the 2015 BSMPG Summer Seminar - May 15-16th, 2015.  Inquire at bostonsmpg@gmail.com - serious thought leaders only!

 

Mission of the CATAPULT Performance Directors Meeting: To provide the leaders in performance training and medical oversight an opportunity to engage with leaders of similar attitude, vision, and entrepreneurial spirit, while pursuing innovative strategies in performance methodology. 

This is a limited capacity event and will be held to 50 of the top thought and change leaders from across the globe.

 

 

bsmpg

 

Steve Tashjian

Topic: Player Monitoring for Peak Performance

Tashjian joins the Crew from Barclays Premier League side Everton Football Club, where he served for five years as the Head of Sports Science and Conditioning and Director of End Stage Rehabilitation. During his time at Everton, Tashjian became well known for his innovative approach to player monitoring and performance development. While serving the club, Everton never finished outside the top eight Premiership positions, qualifying in 2009-2010 for the UEFA Europa League, appearing in the 2011-2012 FA Cup semifinal and finishing fifth in the Premier League in 2013-2014. During his tenure, Tashjian worked with a list of elite players including Tim Howard, Landon Donovan, Tim Cahill, Louis Saha, Phil Neville, Steven Pienaar, Romelu Lukaku and Leighton Baines.

From 2007 to 2009, Tashjian served as Assistant Coach and Head of Fitness, Director of End Stage Rehabilitation and Reconditioning with the Crew. He was a part of Sigi Schmid’s staff that led the Black & Gold to Columbus’ first professional championship with the 2008 MLS Cup squad, and was a part of back-to-back Supporters’ Shield wins in 2008 and 2009 in addition to the club’s 2009 CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinal berth.

Tashjian’s clinical experience began in 2002 as Physical Therapist and Strength and Conditioning Coach in Pasadena, California at the Competitive Athlete Training Zone (CATZ), assisting with the off-season training program for the LA Galaxy. In 2003, he left his position with CATZ to become Co-Owner and Director of Athletic Performance at Rehab United Physical Therapy and Sports Performance Center in San Diego, California, working with elite amateur, Olympic and professional athletes from multiple sports.

As an Assistant Coach, Head of Fitness and later a consultant for Azusa Pacific University from 2006-2008, he helped the university to a 2007 NAIA Men’s Soccer National Championship as well as runner-up honors with the women in 2007 and the men in 2006.

 


 

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Topics: Catapult, Performance Directors Meeting, Steve Tashjian