Do You Need to Cool Down After a Run?

Tread Lightly Running Podcast

As many runners know, a run takes more time than just the miles themselves. You have a pre-run warm-up and recovery nutrition - and so you may wonder if you really need a cooldown after your run, or if you can save some time there. In this episode, we answer a common listener question about what a cooldown after runs actually does - and if you need to do them.

We break this discussion into a physiological explanation of what a cooldown does (and what a cooldown won’t achieve) and a practical explanation of how to apply effective cooldowns in your training.

You will learn:

✅ What a cooldown after a run achieves - and what it doesn’t

✅ If you need to cool down after an easy run

✅ Why you don’t need to worry about flushing out “lactic acid”

✅ How cool down miles can improve your running performance

✅ Do you need to stretch for your cool down?

✅ How to cool down after an interval or tempo run

✅ Should you use an ice bath for a post-run cooldown?

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References:
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🤓 PMID: 29663142