Practicing Before AND After

After playing a demanding game, most pro athletes don't head straight for the showers. Many will ride an exercise bike or do something physical to prevent buildup of lactic acid in their muscles. Lactic acid is one of the products made by the process of converting glycogen to ATP, thus producing energy. When lactic acid builds up in your body it produces soreness and limits your ability to continue to exercise effectively. The only way to stop this effect is to work though a “cool down.” Getting a massage can also help by increase blood flow in the same way, but they are a little harder to come by for most folks on a daily basis.