October 2, 2026
Good morning. A new review finds the cold tub helps the jump but costs the lift, why Jakob Poeltl flipped his routine to lift before he plays, and pitchers are spending six more days on the IL since the pitch clock. Let’s get into it...
| News |
A new umbrella review in Sports Medicine - Open pulled together 15 meta-analyses covering 161 studies on cold-water immersion after exercise. It found that cold water helped athletes jump but didn't help them get stronger.
The upside: jump performance and muscular power were better a day or two later, and soreness was lower for up to 96 hours. The protocols that looked best were 10 to 15 minutes at 10 to 15°C or 5 to 10°C.
The cost: cold water didn't improve strength performance and impaired strength and hypertrophy gains. The authors rated the evidence low to very low certainty and recommend a periodized approach rather than a cold tub after every session.
RETURN TO PLAY
🏀 Lift First, Ball Second
📸 Baldwin & Franklin Architects Inc.
Raptors center Jakob Poeltl played just 46 games last season after a nagging back injury first flared up in training camp. This summer he went home to Austria and hired a strength and conditioning coach who specializes in helping athletes bounce back from injury. With input from the Raptors’ medical staff, they built a program to manage his recurring back pain.
The biggest change was the order. Poeltl used to warm up, play, then do a standard lift. Now he does a full activation and targeted lift session before picking up a ball. The focus is on mobility where his range of motion was lacking, plus core, glute and hamstring strength. “It’s not rocket science,” Poeltl told TSN. So far, he’s feeling and moving better.
RESEARCH
⚾ The Pitch Clock Added Six Days
After MLB added the pitch clock, pitchers on the injured list with arm injuries stayed out about six days longer. That’s the finding from a new study in Sports Health. It compared 1,086 upper-extremity injuries among 625 pitchers in the two seasons before the clock (2021-22) and the two after (2023-24).
Average time on the IL went from 48.1 days to 54.1. Starters drove it, staying out nearly 10 days longer. Elbow injuries also made up a bigger share, 27.5% compared with 18.6%. The results held after adjusting for a small rise in fastball velocity.
IN THE WEIGHT ROOM
🏀 What NBA Players Have in Common
Oklahoma State sat down with new men’s basketball strength coach Gavin Roberts, who came over after stints at Purdue and UConn. He covers what the NBA players he has trained had in common and how he balances strength with durability.
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