Do Ice Baths Actually Work?
Today I’m looking at another popular fitness trend that leaves many people puzzled!
Yes I’m talking about ice baths. You’ve seen them in professional athlete’s locker rooms, in spas and some people even fill their tub up with ice and go for a dip! But why? After all we’ve all taken cold showers and it certainly isn’t a pleasant experience.
So does an ice bath really assist with muscle recovery and help heal aching muscles?
In theory I do think an ice bath makes sense. After all when you injure yourself the first thing you should almost always do is apply ice to the area to reduce inflammation. And if your whole body is achy and sore, then I guess it follows that a full body ice bath should be in order. But as with everything in health and fitness it’s not that simple.
The fact is the research on this topic is pretty inconclusive – some say ice baths DO work to reduce inflammation and muscle pain. But others say they’re a giant waste of time.
So before you start immersing yourself in cold water, let me give you a couple of caveats. For one, while muscle soreness was seen to be reduced in test studies, it’s not significant and was marginal at best. And while soreness may have been cut back a bit, the time it took for recuperation wasn’t improved at all. In fact the effects and benefits of an ice bath are comparable to taking ibuprofen, getting a massage or using a foam roller. However with the latter options you don’t need 20 bags of ice and to suffer through an uncomfortable experience!
Plus ice baths aren’t without potential risks. The most obvious hazard is the potential to develop hypothermia – a very dangerous state for the human body to be in. Most ice baths range in temperature from 50 – 59 degrees and after a mere 10 minutes, or possibly less, your body temperature begins to drop. Since there’s no real science to support or define how ice baths should be used, the amount of time that’s suggested to sit in one varies greatly. Some say 2 minutes at a time, other say up to 10 minutes, some suggest 20 and professional athletes have been known to go as long as 30 minutes! So which is it? Your guess is as good as mine! And those who are not in good health or suffer from cardiovascular disease are at an even higher risk. As I discussed in my Fitness Facts Or Fiction: Saunas post higher temperatures increase blood flow and heat rate. Conversely extreme cold results in vasoconstriction and constriction of the airways with slower heart rate and less blood flow. In essence that means the heart may have to work harder…
I’m sure an ice bath feels quite invigorating and wakes you up – but to actually sit in a tub filled with 50-degree water as a means of trying to improve performance and recovery is a bit of a stretch I think. In addition, it’s terribly inconvenient, costly and time consuming. And all for what? A marginal-at-best edge on recovery?
Of course there’s also the placebo effect. Like everything else we subject our bodies too, merely thinking that an ice bath is good for you can stimulate positive effects in followers. You’ll find people from all walks of life that swear by them and in fact many professional athletes attribute their success to a regular post workout bath.
Personally I think the jury really is out. If you’re a healthy individual and believe ice baths provide a benefit to you then go for it. Personally I think I’ll stay warm!
So do ice baths really work? I’d have to say this is fitness FACT – but minimally. Don’t expect miracles!
But what about you? Have you tried ice baths? Did they work for you and what do you think the benefits are?