Abstract
From Homer's Iliad to the Athens Olympics in 2004, the systematic training and preparation of athletes has included recovery strategies as an aid to performance. Some of the most prominent recovery strategies used by ancient Greek and Roman athletes, and militia involved hydrotherapy. The hydrotherapies employed ranged from baths, spas, waterfalls, and plunge pools, to post exercise swims in the local river or sea. The underlying mechanisms of hydrotherapy techniques are not well understood despite increased use by 21st century athletes and coaches who still rely on 2000 year old protocols.