For whatever reason, next time you find yourself searching for that frozen bag of peas stuffed at the bottom of your freezer, you may want to try a new and innovative way of reducing the swelling and pain caused by an injury or fall. Physicool’s team of experts have spent over two years carrying out extensive research and have produced a product which is now being used in a multitude of sports. Retired triathlete and Tri247's editorial assistant, Annie Emmerson, tested the product after a fall from horse (yes, horse not bike!)

Physicool is a stretchy and conveniently reusable bandage that gives you the combined effect of cooling and compression at the same time. As anyone who has done even the minumum of study of sports injuries will know, the mantra is RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. Physicool's combination of a stretchy bandage to provide both the compression and the containment for the pre-mixed coolant. This also means that you can use the bandage as part of your kit, it's an effective support bandage in its own right.

The coolant mixture has a strong but pleasant smell and, considering no ice is used, the cooling effect is surprisingly strong. Unlike more traditional ice methods such as those frozen peas or a gel pack, Physicool works by drawing heat out as opposed to driving cold in. The cooling process is slower, but longer lasting once the bandage has been removed, which means it is safer than other cooling products, especially ice which if used incorrectly can burn the skin.

The other good news about this product is that it doesn’t actually need a freezer to stay cool so it’s ideal for anyone who is travelling and needs ice but doesn’t have a freezer to hand. This makes it a handy treatment for athletes travelling to races, training away from home, etc. Once used the Physicool bandage can be washed and re-used by adding the ready mixed coolant to make the ice bandage damp, it’s then replaced in its re-sealable pouch and stored in a dry place until it’s needed again.

It’s only downside is that it is a little bit fussy to use, and if you only have a small area you want to treat you will find you have a lot of excess bandage. That said, the positive results and improvements to any inflammation or bruising make this product a worthwhile purchase. It certainly beats an old bag of frozen peas or an ice gel pack that has seen better days and is leaking sticky blue goop everywhere.

For more information see Physicool's website: www.physicool.co.uk