Often on the sports news the night after a game of footy (AFL and NRL) there will be vision of a team either wading about in a pool or up to their waist in the ocean.

Obviously there is a benefit. Every team does it. My questions are:

-Is it to relieve fatigue from running or from the knocks involved?
-What are the principles behind the water recovery?
-It's often the day after the game. Is it best to wait awhile? Or is it just the first opportunity? How long before it becomes too late to bother?
-Is the ocean better than the pool, or vice versa?
-Where can I find out more info? (I did a google but I don't think Im searching for the right thing)

I'm trying to find out as I really need to focus on getting myself up to scratch between sessions. I haven't been able to run for the last week as I ran myself in to the ground. Time to get serious about recoveries!

Cheers.

my view is the best to do it right after run, and thats what lot of runners do, if their training run or race finishes at the beach

I think, that 24 hours after run it is becomming too late.

If the footy is late evening, than the next morning - say 12 hours delay still has some benefit.

The main idea is to take the heat away from muscles, tendons, joints and also bones (ultras), prevent any swelling from injuries or microinjuries, stop blood spilout into tissues from microtears.

It also speeds up the blood flow which helps the recovery.

There is also element of ocean water - the salt issue, which can be simulated by using ocean salt in the bath.

Late water cooling and salt can also help to take heat away from chronicaly inflamed tissues, but that will more likely take the pain away not neccesarily help the healing, often the heat and very warm water is more helpful in this case, and also generaly after injury or hard run with sore muscles, tendons and joints the heat, hot water is better on the day 2 and after.

Thanks for the reply Rudolf.

-So how long in the water is long enough?
-Is it enough just to wade around for a while, or is there specific exercises that need doing.

I will certainly need to toughen up a bit before I start doing this. I'm happy to run in the rain but the idea of freezing cold water doesn't excite me!

no exercises no movement necessary.

The time depends on the water temperature and how is the body - legs overheated.

There is very old procedure using cold water and bath - fill in cold water evening, and than wake up early - set alarm 2 hours before get up time - jump in the bath sit there - whole legs and but upto belly button for 10 seconds, quickly jump out, either quickly dry or wrap yup in few big towels few blankets and jump into bed under double dune and relax - You can sleep, as the legs overheat, the feeling of electricity in legs and bubbles released from bones etc.

The procedure also suggest that You alternate days - 1 day only upto belly button, second day upto the neck.

I have good experience with the legs only sometimes in summer I fill the bath before the run and jump in straight after run
than hot shower and than to bed to overheat,

if there is no time fpr bed than put on 3 warm sweat pants track suit etc so the legs overheat as You go around Your house duties.

With the ocean thingy is different as the water is not that cold so it can be anywhere from 10 secs to perhaps half an hour

Thanks Rudolf, you walk the tightrope between bewildering and informative once again!