Cool It, Buddy! (Topic: Post-Exercise Ice Bath Recovery)

You’ve just finished your run for the day. If you’re sore and exhausted, the last thing on your mind is tomorrow’s run. What can you do to make working out day after day easier on your legs? The answer is proper recovery! This blog post deals with one way to recover after a run: ice baths.

While it may be tempting to jump in a hot tub or soak your legs in hot water after activities, ice water is a better solution. Sure, hot tubs are relaxing, but they do not aid in recovery.

“The theory behind ice baths is related to the fact that intense exercise actually causes microtrauma, or tiny tears in muscle fibers. This muscle damage not only stimulates muscle cell activity and helps repair the damage and strengthen the muscles (muscle hypertrophy), but it is also linked with delayed onset muscle pain and soreness (DOMS), which occurs between 24 and 72 hours after exercise.” - http://sharkfitness.wordpress.com/2009/01/29/after-exercise-ice-bath-recovery/

With the ice bath, blood vessels become constricted (or shrink) and waste products such as lactic acid are flushed from the muscles. Ice baths are also great for reducing any swelling in the joints or muscle tissue. The benefits continue after you are out of the ice bath. As your body re-warms, the blood circulation speeds up and healing speeds as well.

How cold should the ice bath be? “In general, water temperatures should be between 50 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit and immersion time should range from 10 to 20 minutes. Among top runners, I see ice bath techniques that vary within and on either side of these ranges.” (http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-241-285--12810-0,00.html) Some people choose to immerse themselves in the bath tub so their legs are completely underwater and up to the top of the hips, leaving only the upper body out of the water. Depending on where the soreness is located, it is fine to submerge your legs to above the knee caps. Some friendly advice would be to slowly become acquainted with the water temperature before just jumping right in!

Scientific testing has not shown evidence to support that ice baths truly speed recovery or help soreness. However, it can be said that ice baths certainly do not hurt the recovery process. In fact, most runners and athletes will speak in favor of icing.

Submitted by Chris Heezen, HAPLab Intern 2009