Heat cream

[anthrax]

Any advice on a good heat cream for my knees?

 

[mekannik]

Tiger Balm, Icy Hot, Bio-Freeze. I think Ironmind.com sells NicorFlex (spelling on that one??).

To really make you "feel" the heat, you have to trap the vapor. Either wear sweat pants or knee wraps.

I use the BioFreeze roll on with neoprene sleeves on my heavy leg day. And I usually wear fleece sweat pants on top of my gym shorts. After the last set (maybe midway thru) of squats I take the fleece off. By the time I am finished and peel off the neoprene, the wave of menthol is overwhelming. But the coolness rush is great.

 

[anthrax]

I've heard of Nicoflex
It's a Capsaicin cream and it's said to be awsome but difficult to find

I thought Tiger balm, BioFreeze and Icy-hot were topical analgesics?

 

[anthrax]

Are cream with Menthol as effective to warm up joints as the ones with Capsaicin ?

and have you used Tiger Balm before working out?

 

[mekannik]

Are cream with Menthol as effective to warm up joints as the ones with Capsaicin ?

and have you used Tiger Balm before working out?

Not entirely sure. I read sometime ago that most of this stuff really is just irritating the skin and giving you a sense of warming. But menthol does seem to penetrate - BUT it has to be trapped. Hence the neoprene sleeves and fleece pants.

I did this in the middle of summer in Orlando, FL - and yes, I got stares. But my knees were not killing me.

Used Tiger Balm once or twice. Having tried hand applied creams/ointment, they all leave you with a greasy feeling and having to wash your hands right before you lift. And it never comes all the way off. That is why I chose the BioFreeze roll on. It is just like a deoderant and the warming effect is just as good as Icy Hot (again, to completely bludgeon the point home - when covered and trapped by the neoprene knee sleeves).


HOWEVER - if you are having knee pain, check out the post by CoolColJ that mentions Chondromalacia http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=438205

This pretty much covers my summer and current rehab issues. Stretch. Get massage done. Cold/Hot rinses to flush the muscle.


Do not short cut it. The older I get the more I learn. Lifting, training, diet, and preventative care. This last one really is the most over looked and disregarded. Do not think your body will adapt and be happy forever. Shorten your training sessions and devote a third of the time to stretching. You will see a benefit that will definitely make life alot easier.

 

[anthrax]

Good post mekannik!

Thanks

BTW I've just bought some cream with Methyl salicylate, camphor and menthol

I'll apply it 15 minutes before hitting the gym