Ice baths aren’t your typical cold showers. It’s more like cryotherapy than a bath, to be honest. Regular folks don’t submerge themselves in 44-degree water with ice cubes floating around.
Ice baths have always been more suited as recovery tactics after a high-intensity workout, such as athlete training. But how exactly does such an extreme measure lead to better fitness, and what are the benefits or drawbacks of this endeavor?
Let’s dive into this article and find out.
Can an Ice Bath Boost Your Recovery after Fitness Training?
In short? Yes. From reducing muscle aches to increasing immunity and psychological resilience, ice baths can have a tremendously positive impact on your physique, especially for endurance athletes.
Now, for a long answer.
HIT training usually involves intense physical workouts for a prolonged session. Any athlete would obviously experience varying severity of tendinitis and muscle inflammation after such workouts.
These minor injuries can be healed over time. But in the world of athletes, you don’t get enough time to allow your body to heal naturally. Hence, there is a need for an ice bath to quickly recover, both physically and mentally.
Here’s how:
When you plunge into a cold, icy shower, the cold water constricts the blood vessels in your body, reducing swelling and redness in your muscles.
It takes your body a few days to heal muscle inflammation and soreness naturally. However, research suggests that taking a cold shower can reduce that recovery time to around 24 hours.
Furthermore, the change in body temperature triggers an involuntary response in your immune system to increase blood flow to regulate body heat. As a result, the toxins that form in your muscle tissues during a workout get flushed out.
This elevated blood flow increases oxygen saturation in your body, allowing it to quickly and naturally recover from physical pain.
It also clears out lactic acid buildup in your tendons from lengthy training, which reduces soreness and muscle aches. (Source: National Library of Medicine)
And it’s not just for recovery. It also fascinatingly improves overall fitness. Regular cold showers have proven to improve immunity and the respiratory system, which are both crucial to excelling in physical workouts.
Not to mention the increased metabolism, lower body fat, and weight loss.
According to various medical research, cold water creates a sensation of refreshment after a hard working day, which can also increase psychological resilience.
If you regularly take a cold shower, you’re giving your body small stress. You will also be training your body to be more adaptable to cold environments, which is very important for a trainee.
Note: The impact of an ice bath on one’s immunity and metabolism is still under research.
Benefits of Taking an Ice Bath for Fitness & Recovery
According to athlete consultants, taking an ice bath is one of the best biological processes of recovery for an endurance athlete. It is the ultimate form of recovery that can be used regardless of exercise or body type.
To better understand it, let’s take a look at the benefits of ice baths for recovery and fitness training:
- Muscle swelling: Cold sensation reduces inflammation and pain, allowing your body to recover properly.
- Irregular blood pressure & heart rate: Regulates body temperature and blood flow, reopening your blood vessels and stabilizing blood pressure and heart rate.
- Body heat: Cold water cools down your body after it gets heated up from heavy workouts.
- Fatigue and tired mood: The invigorating sensation from the ice bath releases hormones in your body to reduce fatigue and anxiety.
- Difficulty breathing: Increased blood flow creates better oxygen circulation, allowing your respiratory system to function properly.
- Falling ill: A sudden cold sensation triggers your natural immune system to be active and keep you away from illness.
Few Dangers of Taking an Ice Bath Improperly
It goes without saying that dipping yourself in icy water will obviously come with a few risks. These can become life-threatening if not handled properly. Such as:
- Frostbite is an ever-present risk in cryotherapy.
- Some people can permanently lose sensation in some body parts.
- Excessively cold water can cause nerve damage.
- Staying in an ice tub for a very long time can damage your blood vessels.
- Sudden immersion in a body of freezingly cold water can send your body into a state of shock.
There’s a reason why the term “Trench Foot” exists. Prolonged exposure to excessively cold situations can be very detrimental to your health and even cause death in certain scenarios.
How to Properly Take an Ice Bath
A proper recovery after a lengthy and strenuous training depends on a proper ice bath.
And since plunging your torso in icy water is anything but safe, you’ll need to follow precise instructions if you want to boost your recovery and overall fitness. Such as:
- Let your body rest a bit after you’ve trained. Don’t jump into an ice tub immediately after your workouts.
- Only consider an icy bath if you’re getting muscle inflammation and soreness.
- Use a 100-gallon barrel or a bathtub. Avoid submerging yourself in freezing lakes or other bodies of water.
- Make sure the water temperature is not less than 44-46 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the ideal temperature is around 50 degrees F, or 10-11 degrees C.
- Use a smartwatch or a wristband with a heart rate monitoring function. Ensure your heart rate doesn’t dip too low.
- For a beginner, 5-8 minutes of full-body submersion is enough. If you’re a seasoned athlete, you can have around 10-12 minutes of CWI (cold water immersion).
Remember, staying in icy water for a prolonged period doesn’t result in a better outcome, only worse. Also, keep towels and dry clothes nearby so you can quickly dry yourself after taking an ice bath. (view our disclaimer at the end of this post.)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do ice baths improve recovery?
Soaking in an ice tub can do much more than just fixing muscle inflammation. It also increases blood flow and circulates oxygen throughout your muscles to decrease stiffness. This increased circulation also helps the healing process by regulating internal temperature and maintaining metabolism.
Why do the athletes take cold showers?
Taking a cold shower after an extensive training session can not only increase the healing process but also boost overall fitness. Hence, it is recommended for HIT trainees and athletes alike.
What is the best ice bath strategy?
If you’re considering plunging yourself into an ice tub, be sure to maintain a time limit and a heart rate monitor, especially if you’re a novice. If you are feeling unwell or excessive shivering, cautiously but immediately get out of the tub and dry yourself naturally.
Conclusion
Taking an ice bath might sound a bit excessive to some, but it has been proven effective for many athletes and trainees. Just like a sauna helps you relax, an ice shower helps your body to recover in a fashionable manner as well as maintain fitness.
Hope this write-up has been helpful in your query. Just stick to the guidelines I’ve provided here for properly taking a cold shower, and you’ll be good to go.
Have a nice day!
Disclaimer
The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice.
The writer, this website, and the owner of this website are not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information in this article.
It is recommended to consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you seek to take ice baths.