Fitness: Ice baths anyone?

genuinemommy · Oct 19, 2013

A friend mentioned these as part of their training and I'm just skeptical - and curious.
Here's a link to a description in relation to distance running: The Benefits of Ice Baths for Runners | Runner's World
Anyone do this?
Share successes or failures.

The only ice bath I've had was when I had a high fever as a kid. It was an unpleasant experience and I can't imagine it helping much recovering from a run.

martian · Oct 19, 2013

Well, cold to combat swelling and muscle strain isn't a new idea, so I guess I can understand the principle. I can't imagine intentionally getting in an ice bath, though -- it sounds deeply unpleasant to me.

Baraka_Guru · Oct 19, 2013

I've heard of the benefits of "contrast showers":

Best of Both: Contrast Temperature Water Therapy

Contrast temperature water therapy is a technique where you alternate soaking in hot and cold water as part of your exercise recovery. A study published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport found that athletes who tried this therapy had significant reduction in both heart rate and blood lactate levels compared to those who only used their regular cool-down methods of low-intensity exercise.
Click to expand...

Discovery Health "Post-workout: Cool Down with a Cold Shower"

I've never tried one though. I tend to take hot showers after working out, and I don't tend to get muscle soreness that much.

I'm sure the cold could be of benefit, but ice? I think that's overdoing it if you ask me.

PonyPotato · Oct 19, 2013

I have never gotten into an ice bath after a workout, however I do sometimes use the "cold shower after workout" strategy to aid in recovery. I find that it does help reduce some stiffness/soreness, however I've found that using a foam roller and stretching after a long workout is more helpful for recovery.

Now, for my feet I've used ice baths after a long run to reduce pain and aid in recovery. They help a LOT with foot pain, but fuuuuuck it's difficult to stand the ice for longer than a minute or so at a time.

snowy · Oct 19, 2013

The Well column in the NYTimes just had a piece on this: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/04/ask-well-relieving-sore-muscles/?smid=pl-share

Ask Well: Relieving Sore Muscles

By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS
QWhat’s the best way to relieve sore muscles?I am a 56-year-old woman who exercises at least an hour a day. I am sore a lot of the time. What is the best approach to reducing muscle soreness? I know about foam rollers, protein, ice baths
Asked by nlitinme • 348 votes
A
Exercise could be described as Nietzschean. To make muscles fitter, you damage them slightly during workouts, prompting the fibers to repair themselves and become stronger. This process “is a good thing,” said Thomas Swensen, a professor of exercise and sports science at Ithaca College in New York. “You want to stress the muscles. They adapt positively.”
But in the meantime, they ache and, unfortunately, few methods reliably relieve the soreness. The painkiller ibuprofen, for instance, has little effect on exercise-related pain, studies show, and may actually reduce the ability of muscles to repair themselves. Similarly, post-exercise ice baths chill muscles, as you would expect, but do not, most studies show, make them less tender.
On the other hand, sports massage marginally reduces soreness, some studies suggest, although the overall effect is “too small to be clinically relevant,” a systematic review of massage-related studies concluded in 2012.
Ditto for arnica. A small study published in August in The European Journal of Sport Science found that runners who rubbed the substance onto their legs every four hours for three days after a punishing workout felt slightly less sore afterward than runners who did not.
Foam rollers, which you mention, may also be effective. In a small study published in July, young men who vigorously rolled their muscles like bread dough for 20 minutes after strength training were less sore later than a control group. (It is impossible, of course, to blind people as to whether they are receiving treatment in studies like this. You know if your muscles are being kneaded or not.)
But my favorite newly studied method of combating sore muscles is watermelon juice, which, according to an experiment published in July in The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, contains a hefty dose of l-citrulline, a substance that seems to protect muscles against pain. Cyclists who drank about 17 ounces of fresh watermelon juice an hour before completing a strenuous interval session experienced fewer aches afterward than riders drinking a placebo.
None of these methods, however, will eliminate post-exercise muscle soreness; at best, they can blunt it. But for most of us, the condition is self-limiting anyway, Dr. Swensen said, dissipating after a few days whether we treat it or not. If the achiness persists, especially after a normal exercise session (not one that is unusually strenuous or otherwise unfamiliar to your body), consult a doctor. Not all muscle aches are caused by exercise.
Click to expand...

Lish · Oct 19, 2013

ive tried cold showers and jumping in ice cold sea, but never an ice bath. as Martian said, it reduces the swelling and inflammation in the muscles. From what i remember of the theory, when you jump into cold water the body gets a rude shock and draws the blood away from the muscles and towards the heart, thus reducing inflammation in the muslces.

other ways is ibuprufen, which is another way to reduce inflammation, which the_jazz introduced me to, although long term, this probably isnt the best way to do this.

RedSneaker · Oct 21, 2013

Not an ice bath - but a cold plunge dip. I had access to one in Mexico and it was awesome. Once you get over the shock of the cold it's really quite nice.

I can't speak to long term or even ongoing benefits, but I did feel great (and alert!) the rest of the day.

rogue49 · Oct 21, 2013

I think I would love it after running or biking for a long distance.
I tend to run hot.

I used to do the Polar Bear Club, so no problem.

Although I prefer hot showers, spas and steam rooms.
The heat and steam relaxes me, the muscles and my lungs.

chinese crested · Oct 21, 2013

Its a very old one isnt it - from days when people didnt live so long

the_jazz · Oct 21, 2013

chinese crested said: ↑

Its a very old one isnt it - from days when people didnt live so long
Click to expand...

Just because it was invented a long time ago doesn't diminish the benefits.

Ice baths are, in my opinion, best for injury recovery than anything preventative. I like cold showers after running in hot weather, but I don't claim any benefit from it. But there's a big difference between a 65F-75F shower and an ice bath. I've experienced both.

Ice baths are great for reducing inflammation and getting blood circulating in injured areas. More blood, especially in feet or legs, is always a good thing because that's bringing the things that are going to help repair whatever damage has been done.

chinese crested · Oct 21, 2013

I think you may find you have something in common with at least one of the Bronte sisters.
Old doesnt necessarily mean crap, just as new is not always 'improved'.

Log in or Sign up

Fitness: Ice baths anyone?

genuinemommy Moderator Staff Member

martian Server Monkey Staff Member

Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

PonyPotato Very Tilted

snowy so kawaii Staff Member

Lish Very Tilted

RedSneaker Very Tilted

rogue49 Tech Kung Fu Artist Staff Member

chinese crested Slightly Tilted

the_jazz Accused old lady puncher

chinese crested Slightly Tilted

Log in or Sign up

Fitness: Ice baths anyone?

genuinemommy Moderator Staff Member

martian Server Monkey Staff Member

Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

PonyPotato Very Tilted

snowy so kawaii Staff Member

Lish Very Tilted

RedSneaker Very Tilted

rogue49 Tech Kung Fu Artist Staff Member

chinese crested Slightly Tilted

the_jazz Accused old lady puncher

chinese crested Slightly Tilted

Useful Searches