AQA · A-Level · Physical Education
Course version: 7582 · Version from Sept 2016
Recovery from exercise (compression garments, massage/foam rollers, cold…
Full specification wording
Injury prevention and the rehabilitation of injury: Recovery from exercise (compression garments, massage/foam rollers, cold therapy, ice bath, cryotherapy).
Recovery methods help the body return to a ready state after exercise.
Checked against the AQA 7582 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 9 of 12
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Recovery methods help the body return to a ready state after exercise. Compression garments apply graduated pressure to limbs, which may support venous return and reduce swelling. Massage and foam rollers apply mechanical pressure to muscle, aiming to ease soreness and improve tissue mobility. Cold therapy and ice baths lower tissue temperature to reduce pain, blood flow and inflammation after intense work. Cryotherapy extends this cooling, sometimes using very cold air. Each method targets a different recovery mechanism, so match the method to the intended effect.
What earns the marks
- Compression garments apply graduated pressure to limbs, which may support venous return and limit swelling after exercise.
- Massage and foam rollers apply mechanical pressure to muscle, aiming to reduce soreness and improve tissue mobility.
- Cold therapy lowers tissue temperature to reduce pain, local blood flow and inflammation after intense exercise.
- Ice baths immerse the body or limbs in cold water to produce the same cooling effects as other cold therapy.
- Cryotherapy uses extreme cold, often cold air, to cool tissue and support recovery.
- The best recovery method depends on the mechanism targeted, such as circulation, soreness or inflammation.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Treating ice baths and cryotherapy as unrelated.
Put it right by grouping them as cold therapies with different delivery.
Thinking compression garments increase blood flow to the surface.
Put it right by describing the direction of pressure.
Believing massage builds strength.
Put it right by linking it to recovery rather than performance gain.
Assuming one recovery method covers all needs.
Put it right by matching method to the intended recovery effect.
Exam tips
- Identify the recovery mechanism named in the question, such as circulation, soreness or inflammation, before selecting.
- Reject options that describe a training effect rather than a recovery effect.
- Use the medium of each method, pressure, water or cold air, to separate similar options.
Try the lesson
The start of the Injury prevention and the rehabilitation of injury: Recovery from exercise (compression garments, massage/foam rollers, cold therapy, ice bath, cryotherapy). lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which recovery method involves immersing the body in cold water after exercise?
Listen
Recovery methods help the body return to a ready state after exercise. Compression garments apply graduated pressure to limbs, which may support venous return and reduce swelling. Massage and foam rollers apply mechanical pressure to muscle, aiming to ease soreness and improve tissue mobility. Cold therapy and ice baths lower tissue temperature to reduce pain, blood flow and inflammation after intense work. Cryotherapy extends this cooling, sometimes using very cold air. Each method targets a different recovery mechanism, so match the method to the intended effect. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Compression garments apply graduated pressure to limbs, which may support venous return and limit swelling after exercise. Massage and foam rollers apply mechanical pressure to muscle, aiming to reduce soreness and improve tissue mobility. Cold therapy lowers tissue temperature to reduce pain, local blood flow and inflammation after intense exercise. Ice baths immerse the body or limbs in cold water to produce the same cooling effects as other cold therapy. A common slip: Treating ice baths and cryotherapy as unrelated: both use cold to reduce pain and inflammation. Instead, grouping them as cold therapies with different delivery. Exam tip: Identify the recovery mechanism named in the question, such as circulation, soreness or inflammation, before selecting.
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Venous return and circulation
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Muscle soreness and tissue mobility
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Cold application and inflammation control
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Matching recovery method to mechanism
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
See every definition
- Venous return and circulation
- Compression garments apply graduated pressure to limbs, which may support venous return and limit swelling after exercise.
- Muscle soreness and tissue mobility
- Massage and foam rollers apply mechanical pressure to muscle, aiming to reduce soreness and improve tissue mobility.
- Cold application and inflammation control
- Cold therapy lowers tissue temperature to reduce pain, local blood flow and inflammation after intense exercise.
- Matching recovery method to mechanism
- The best recovery method depends on the mechanism targeted, such as circulation, soreness or inflammation.
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