How to Properly Ice After Your Athletic Therapy Session:

P.I.E.R. Principle: 

Pressure - Apply pressure with tensor.

• This will help to limit any space available for swelling to fill.

Ice - Apply cold pack or ice.

• Slow down blood flow.
• Reduce pain, swelling, inflammation, bruising (contusions) and redness.

Elevation - Elevate the affected limb/joint above heart level.

• Uses gravity to limit swelling from pooling in extremities (limbs).

Rest - Rest the limb.

• ~10-15 minutes on.
• ~45 minutes off.
• Ice once per hour for ~24 - 48 hours (~1-2 days).Or as many times as you possibly can.

What You Will Experience When You Ice/ P.I.E.R. (in order of appearance): Cold Burning Aching Numbness

• Remove ice BEFORE the area starts feeling numb. 
• HUNTER’S RESPONSE occurs >20 minutes (or when area has been cold for too long), benefits of icing are REVERSED.
• Your body will increase the blood flow to that area to warm/ prevent any damage from the cold.

Hope that helps!

Minimizing the Effects of Jet Lag

General:

• Depart for trip well rested.
• Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration (b/c dry, high altitude, low-humidity cabin air).
• Reset watches according to the new time zone after boarding the plane.
• On arrival, immediately adopt the local time schedule for training, eating, and sleeping. Forget about what time it is where you came from.
• Avoid using alcohol before, during, and after travel.

Traveling West:

• Get up and go to bed 1 hour later for each time zone crossed when traveling west.
• Eat light meals early and heavy meals late in the day.
• Consume caffeine in coffee, tea or soda.
• Exercise/ training should be done later in the day.
• Get as much sunlight as possible on arrival.

Traveling East:

• Get up and go to bed 1 hour earlier for each time zone crossed when traveling east.
• Eat heavy meal earlier in the day.
• Caffeine should be avoided.
• Exercise/ training should be done earlier in the day.

Principles of Athletic Training, William Prentice, Daniel D. Arn