Do Ice Baths Have Benefits? (answer: probably not)

[Kenny Banya]

Athletes are told a post-match ice bath works wonders for their muscles. But is it really good for them? BBC Future investigates.

Win or lose, after a tennis match British number one Andy Murray, has a shower, some food and drink, and a massage and then rounds off his routine with an ice bath. For eight minutes he sits in iced water kept at 8-10C (46-50F) And he’s not the only athlete to use ice baths to help recovery after a competition. Heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill used to stand in a wheelie bin of iced water for the sake of her muscles (pictured, below). The success of these sportspeople and others who adopt this technique would suggest that ice baths work, but when you look for evidence for the impact of this painful remedy, it’s sketchy.

The idea is that immersing the body in freezing cold water speeds up recovery after exercise by reducing temperature, blood flow and inflammation in tissues of the muscles. Lots of us will have noticed that a bag of frozen peas does reduce the pain and swelling when you’ve pulled a muscle. In one studyparticipants were instructed to put one leg into an ice bath after a strenuous run, and to leave the other one out. Swelling was reduced in the freezing cold leg.

For most of us a little pain relief might be good enough, but for the professional athlete or keen amateur who wants to build muscle, then attempts to mitigate inflammation could be counterproductive. Immersion in cold water is known to reduce blood flow and this could slow down muscle protein synthesis, where the muscle rebuilds itself after injury or strain.

In order to reap the benefits of doing weights, for example, some inflammation might be useful to help the muscles to repair. So perhaps deliberately reducing that inflammation isn’t such a good idea. Because inflammation hurts, naturally there are attempts to reduce it to relieve the pain, but there is some evidence that this could hinder recovery....
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20161209-do-athletes-need-to-take-ice-baths

 

[sb4]

I did cold (10deg c) baths for 8months last year. It helped some heart symptoms and I experienced amazing muscle growth (no exercise), also libido improved and other things i can't remember however my dry mouth worsened dramatically which lead me to think it was causing too much stress.

In answer to your question it certainly has benefits but also seems to have consequences when you are ill.

 

[Little Bluestem]

I'm glad to hear this. I definitely do not like the idea of an ice bath.

 

[brenda]

You have to start cold thermogenesis off slowly when you are sick. Dr Kruse advises doing face dunks in iced water for a few seconds then building up. I had a great response to cold showers when l was in Greece, where the temps were 29 degrees at the most and they gave me energy. The body needs sun but the heat is not good for our mitos. Cold us also very good for us when sleeping - cold and dark cutting out blue light at night.

 

[Asklipia]

@Kenny Banya you write "the impact of this painful remedy"

Surely you realize that never mind the "remedy" aspect, cold baths are actually extremely enjoyable?

 

[alex3619]

cold baths are actually extremely enjoyable?

Most people jump out asap. People go to great lengths to avoid them. This is not cool water, but icy water. However this was very big for ME in the early 90s and then everyone stopped doing them.

 

[Asklipia]

then everyone stopped doing them.

I didn't.

 

[Kenny Banya]

I did cold (10deg c) baths for 8months last year. It helped some heart symptoms and I experienced amazing muscle growth (no exercise), also libido improved and other things i can't remember however my dry mouth worsened dramatically which lead me to think it was causing too much stress.

In answer to your question it certainly has benefits but also seems to have consequences when you are ill.

Just out of interest, how far up your body did the water go?

 

[sb4]

Just out of interest, how far up your body did the water go?

Feet and arms out, torso chest thighs in all the way up to neck.

 

[Biarritz13]

I did cold (10deg c) I experienced amazing muscle growth (no exercise), also libido improved

I am experiencing the same things.

 

[Artstu]

I just couldn't do cold baths, however without doubt exposure to cold frosty conditions improves my health. Cold exposure is known to boost mitochondria cells.

 

[Kenny Banya]

Feet and arms out, torso chest thighs in all the way up to neck.

Any suggestions for the cheapest types of places for ice?
I can imagine it starts to become costly

For my first one yesterday, I scrapped it out of the freezer!

 

[Kenny Banya]

I just couldn't do cold baths, however without doubt exposure to cold frosty conditions improves my health. Cold exposure is known to boost mitochondria cells.

Just play music to get your mind off it.
I had a song from The Walking Dead playing, on loop for 15 minutes!

 

[anne_likes_red]

Woohoo almost my favourite topic!
Nearly 5 years ice bathing now and not stopping. I apparently missed the "big" ice bath craze in the 1990s when PWME were doing them. I forget what I was doing then...HBOT certainly in the later 1990s and I've always felt that had a similar effect. No idea why these things work well for me and not so much for others. I'd love to know!!
Ice baths right off (from no ice bathing) is a BAD idea - especially for people who have a severe illness - and just jumping in is no doubt stressful...or even dangerous.

I started warmish, but cooler than my skin temperature, and worked down gradually to very cold temperatures. Even with lots of care I experienced mild hypothermia once in the early weeks and it caused me a set back generally. Avoid that!! Horrible.

This is just my experience and no doubt people will respond differently same as they do to all kinds of things but I found it takes a while for the brown adipose tissue to become responsive enough so I don't actually feel cold (on exposure to cold) beyond skin deep. My temperature rises *instantly* now on exposure to cold, even if I walk past an open chiller in the supermarket. It took a few months of daily (or every other day) gentle, consistent exposure to get to that point. My body temperature normalised that first winter after 25 years of low body temperature.

I developed muscle same as others have mentioned. I experienced a whole lot of other benefits that I've mentioned in various places over the years...don't feel the need to repeat them. Should mention here that I changed my diet (to higher protein and lower carb) a couple of months before starting regular cold -> ice baths same time and I feel that may also have played a part in my improvement.

Still have ME. It's not a cure.

Anne.

PS Original article seems to be talking about attempting to lower inflammation after muscle over-use? ...Bears no relation to way I use cold. FWIW.

 

[anne_likes_red]

Most people jump out asap. People go to great lengths to avoid them. This is not cool water, but icy water. However this was very big for ME in the early 90s and then everyone stopped doing them.

It was big to go straight into icy water? (PWME often have low body temperature so this was ill advised on that count alone IMO, unless those people were excluded.)
I do remember taking cold showers after hot ones in the early 90's and feeling kind of invigorated after. ..Not as a recommendation for ME but after spending time in a culture where hot/cold contrast showers were considered health enhancing.
But jumping into icy water? Gah!! Not surprised it wasn't popular. Quite harmful possibly.

 

[anne_likes_red]

Any suggestions for the cheapest types of places for ice?
I can imagine it starts to become costly

For my first one yesterday, I scrapped it out of the freezer!

Until I got a bigger freezer I was lucky that a company delivering ice to local supermarkets was happy to stop by and fill up an insulated bin I left on the front porch. They charged me next to nothing. Two years, bless them.
I've just made big ice bricks the last few years though.

 

[anne_likes_red]

Feet and arms out, torso chest thighs in all the way up to neck.

Same. (Except feet in neoprene socks.)

 

[alex3619]

I do remember taking cold showers after hot ones in the early 90's and feeling kind of invigorated after.

Yes. Icy water causes risk of shock and drowning. I did a lot of sauna/cool then cold showers in the early 90s. While some think the showers are energizing, the model I was on hypothesized that it might reset autonomic settings.

 

[Kenny Banya]

Feet and arms out, torso chest thighs in all the way up to neck.

Would you allow it to get to shivering & teeth chattering? Just need to check

 

[sb4]

Any suggestions for the cheapest types of places for ice?
I can imagine it starts to become costly

For my first one yesterday, I scrapped it out of the freezer!

I live in the UK so the water is <10c in winter , in summer I just put bottles of water in the freezer.