Injury Prevention and Care, Recovery

[FigureSpins]

I've been to several presentations on preventing injuries, caring for them, and recovering from workouts, so I'll share some of the wisdom I've gained.

[FigureSpins]

WARMUPS:

US Figure Skating is touting the National Dynamic Warmup (NDW,) which was included during this year's S.T.A.R.S. assessments:  https://icedynamics.net/stars

Sk8Strong has a Dynamic Warmup as well - put the video on your phone/tablet and follow along!

Basic message: Everyone should do a good warmup before they skate.  If you have an known issue (say, tight hip flexors) you should add an extra set of those exercises or do an different exercise that helps during your warmup.  I have tendonitis and a torn meniscus in my left knee, so I do some exercises the PTs recommended that aren't in the NDW.  I also don't start with jumping jacks or jump rope.

For an more-informal warmup, start with foot/ankle exercises and work your way up to the top.  Everyone knows some exercises to work your body, lol.  Use 'em!

The biggest cause of injuries is improper warmup but the biggest cause of NOT warming up is lack of time.  Get there early and warm up BEFORE putting skates on your feet!  (This is a sore point with me - some families get there early, put skates on right away and then sit to wait for the session to start.  Others get out of the car wearing too-loose skates and have to run to get on the ice.  They see the skaters who come early, warm up and get on the ice ready to skate - why don't they do it, too?!?!)

[FigureSpins]

Cooling down is also a way to prevent injuries and improve flexibility.  While the muscles are warm from skating, stretch!  Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds - I recommending singing/humming the ABC Song while holding each stretch.   Spiral, butterfly, spreadeagle, back bend, side bend, toe touches, waist twist, leg extension) will all benefit from more flexibility and space, so stretch for better skating!

[FigureSpins]

Nutrition is always discussed and it's difficult topic because many skaters are sensitive.

In general, your body needs fuel before you exercise.  However, digestion uses that same fuel, so you don't want to eat something heavy.  A light snack before you work out or skate is best.  Carbs are good because they can be easily converted to energy, but not all carbs are created equal.  Stay away from simple carbs like candy and juices - they raise blood sugar for a short time, but the drop makes the athlete tired mid-workout.  Most of the recommendations were nuts or nutrition bars.

Of course, you have to use common sense and avoid anything to which you are sensitive or allergic. 

After working out, skaters should have a snack.  For skaters with afternoon/early evening lessons, this is tough: you don't want them to spoil their dinner, but recovery calls for protein and carbs after working out.  Banana and chocolate milk is just as good as a sports drink, apparently, and more satisfying so they don't feel hungry a few minutes later.

[FigureSpins]

Drinks: water is best, sports drinks if there's a concern about needing more hydration.  One example they gave me was a power skating session - if the skater gets hot and sweaty and is still thirsty after drinking a bottle of water, give them a sports drink because it's likely they need the electrolytes.    However, sports drinks should not be an ordinary beverage - they contain too much sugar and salt.  They're really recovery drinks for extreme workouts.

Juice was an interesting topic because many juices have water and sugar added.  All-juice products were okay, but it was suggested that they be added to water as a flavoring. 

One suggestion I hadn't even considered: applesauce in lieu of a juice box.  They make them in squeeze pouches now for on-the-go.  Again, it'll suppress appetite and there are a lot of carbs, but it's a good way to hydrate between meals.

Water additives were discussed.  There are powders that turn water into recovery drinks.  Use them sparingly.  The flavor concentrates for instant lemonade and fruit punch contain too many sugars or artificial sweeteners, so they should be avoided.  The powders that add protein to water are supposed to help build muscles, but they suppress appetite, which may not be a good thing. 

Dairy products (milk, yogurt, smoothies) were considered meal replacements because they contain so much protein and require more energy to digest.  Because of that, dairy is not a good pre-performance snack but it's fine for apres-skating. 

Basic message: water first, everything else with consideration.

[FigureSpins]

Rollers are en vogue for injury prevention as well as for recovery and treatment.
Balls for feet and muscle massage continue to be popular.  The latest trend is to use lacrosse balls, but I've tried it and they were too hard for my ankles/feet.  I use a Spaldeen instead and apply more pressure.

Foam rollers are still in use, as are massage sticks.  Just don't roll over the bones in your legs or back: it can cause inflammation.  Tip: if the massage stick is too hard/painful, wrap it in a sock or thin towel to provide some cushioning.  As you get used to using it, you can reduce/remove the padding.

Big exercise balls for stretching are a good way to support the back while stretching for laybacks.  They're also awesome for crunches and balancing.

Balance tools, like Bosu and half-rollers, are critical for improving balance.  A DIY version is to roll up a towel, secure it with rubber bands, and use it for balance exercises.
Using hand-held balls while balancing also challenges and improves performance.  Start with an unweighted ball, moving it overhead, out to front, sides and then down to the feet.  As you get better, you can use a weighted ball.

The newest trend is a dual-ball roller, like the Rad Roller, which was distributed to athletes at S.T.A.R.S. this summer.  This gadget makes rolling up your back against the wall so much easier and effective since it massages both sides of your spine at the same time.  (Someone suggested putting two lacrosse balls in a knotted-end sock to get the same effect.)  At STARS, they had the athletes apply the RadRoller to the IT band along the hips, outer thighs and shins.

The techniques for using any of these tools are:

. Gently roll over the area to loosen up and massage.
. If you find a tight muscle spot, press the tool into it and hold for a few seconds before going back to rolling.
. For more intense loosening, press and roll in a small circle to work the tight spots.

[FigureSpins]

Icing Injuries:

For bumps and bruises, anti-inflammatories and NSAIDs help, but ice works faster at reducing swelling and inflammation.  You should ice a new injury for five minutes, then wait five minutes before applying again. Repeat the on/off for at least a half-hour.  Most people don't stick with it for more than 15 minutes, ime.

People don't believe this, and I didn't until I tried it, but icing a muscle strain works.  Even the back muscles.  Most people apply heat, which feels good but doesn't reduce the inflammation, so the pain and strain remain.  (rhyming intentional)  Next time you strain a muscle, try ice for the first half-hour.

If you have a chronic injury, ice it after you skate and cool down.  Some tips:

Someone on this board recommended a DIY ice pack of 50% isopropal alcohol/50% water in a zipper freezer bag.  Put it in the freezer and it becomes a mush that wraps around joints better. It doesn't stay cold as long as a solid ice pack, but it fits better, so it works better.  (Kudos to the OP - I don't remember who suggested it.)  I keep two in the freezer at all times because I have ankle tendonitis.  When I remember, I put it in a freezer lunch bag to keep it cold while I skate. 

Someone at our rink kept an old-fashioned ice bag in her son's skate bag.  The snack bar gave her a cup of ice to put inside the bag and the skater used it to ice on the way home.

If you ask, most snack bars will give you a baggie of ice for an injury.

Here's a tip that I picked up on Wednesday.  I went to a local pizza place for dinner and a Women's college volleyball team was finishing their meal.  Each of the players had ice packs on their legs: hips, thighs, ankles, shins, even achilles areas.  They were held in place with what looked like plastic wrap.  One player said the trainer had wrapped it in place for her after the game.  I've never seen this before, but it was this product: https://www.amazon.com/Mueller-EZ-Wrap-Plastic-Film-Handle/dp/B001ASC8HO   All this time, I've been fussing with oversized socks, ace bandage wraps and knee sleeves when all I needed was plastic wrap!  LOL 

[tstop4me]

The powders that add protein to water are supposed to help build muscles, but they suppress appetite, which may not be a good thing. 

<<Emphasis added.>>  Could you please clarify?  Are you mainly concerned with young girls who are already underweight?  I've been trying to shed ~5 lbs, but my major issue is that I'm super hungry after a skating session.   Several of my friends who are active in other sports (such as karate and swimming) tell me they drink water and protein powder immediately after exercise to specifically suppress appetite.  Are there some minuses that I should be aware of?

[FigureSpins]

Just relaying what I've learned.  All speakers focus on healthy eating habits for everyone and rarely do they mention over or under weight.  From my viewpoint, if a skater finishes up at 5:30pm and dinner's scheduled for 6pm, they shouldn't fill up on protein shakes and skip dinner.  It's not a healthy way to manage your diet from a nutrition standpoint or from a recovery standpoint. 

The protein powders are supposed to be supplements, not meals, because they're not nutritionally complete.  FWIW, many adults use them for weight loss or to bulk up.  If you're an adult trying to lose weight and not succeeding, try a licensed nutritionist to help.  I've had a lot of friends do that and lose weight. 

[Live2Sk8]

Thank you for sharing this valuable information, FigureSpins!