Ice baths

[johnsmith05]

Does any one on here have experience with ice baths?

From the research i have done on it it has stated regularly that ice baths after training may be of use however little use in ice baths the day after.

I have never really had to do ice baths in the past as i have never really pulled up as sore but as you get older you need to look at these things.

What made me query is because alot of researched says they are not effective next day, but then why do alot of afl or rugby players go to the beach the next day? considering they have already had ice baths post game?

 

[cptkirk]

never had one, nor want to (the beach is too cold most of the time!)

i've read that they increase cortisol which is obviously not great for recovery but maybe there is a time/temperature cut off point football clubs use

post 5 from here:

http://community.myprotein.com/off-topic/30190-icebaths.html

 

[johnsmith05]

never had one, nor want to (the beach is too cold most of the time!)

i've read that they increase cortisol which is obviously not great for recovery but maybe there is a time/temperature cut off point football clubs use

post 5 from here:

http://community.myprotein.com/off-topic/30190-icebaths.html

Thanks mate.

 

[OSCS]

What method have you been using for your icebaths?

 

[johnsmith05]

i just use them post workout for 12-14 minutes

 

[jdisc]

Of course ice baths dont work the day after.

The logic behind the ice bath is that it causes the blood vessels all through your legs to constrict. This action allows lactic acid to move out of your legs and back up to your body where it can be flushed out of your system, preventing a lactic acid build up, therefore preventing soreness.

I take ice baths after big sessions where i feel i may pull up sore the next day, and since i have started taking them I have started pulling up fresher and less sore.

Also, after you take the ice bath hop into a hot shower for 5 - 10 minutes as the hot water will relax your muscles.

 

[The Passenger]

i don't have access to ice baths but i'll often run the taps cold for 3 x 1 minute period in the shower after work outs. not everyone. it's not the most pleasant and sometimes i just don't have it in me to sit under cold water... but i probably do it twice a week.

don't know if it is placebo but i've felt a lot better since starting that around mid last year.

got a steam and spa at the gym i go to which i'll use once or twice a fortnight.

 

[estibador]

i don't have access to ice baths but i'll often run the taps cold for 3 x 1 minute period in the shower after work outs. not everyone. it's not the most pleasant and sometimes i just don't have it in me to sit under cold water... but i probably do it twice a week.

I'm a big believer in finishing every shower with a blast of cold water. Supposedly has heaps of health benefits but I just love the fact it makes me feel like I'm buzzing afterwards, rather than the sluggish lethargy you can feel after hot showers.

Takes a bit of discipline sometimes but consider it a form of mental toughness training.

(Easy for me to say when I've been living up north lately where it only drops into the teens in the cold months. I'll see how tough I'm feeling back in Perth this winter)

 

[The Passenger]

Takes a bit of discipline sometimes but consider it a form of mental toughness training.

lol i did try to convince myself if i could have a cold shower after every training session it would be a form of mental training. that lasted about 3 days. melbourne winters are brutal enough.

 

[Covertackle]

the AIS has moved forward from ice baths. they now include alternating hot/ cold showers. they have a 'race' somewhat like a cattle race, with alternate hot and ice cold showers set horizontally on the walls. so as you walk through, you get sprayedwith hot, then cold, then as you move on, hot, cold etc.

this has a 'pump' effect on the body, and helps flush wastefrom the muscles..

you could simulate this with a bit of immagination...

 

[The Passenger]

the AIS has moved forward from ice baths. they now include alternating hot/ cold showers. they have a 'race' somewhat like a cattle race, with alternate hot and ice cold showers set horizontally on the walls. so as you walk through, you get sprayedwith hot, then cold, then as you move on, hot, cold etc.

this has a 'pump' effect on the body, and helps flush wastefrom the muscles..

you could simulate this with a bit of immagination...

well that's the theory behind my 1 x minute of cold water in the shower after a work out. not quite as cold as ice cold, but cold enough. i put the cold on after a couple of minutes of hot water.

at the gym when i steam it up, i'll go 6 min in steam, 3 under cold shower, 6 in steam, 3 under cold, 6 in steam.

not hit the sauna for a good while now. people just crank it up to high. they think the aim of the sauna is to get it as hot as possible and almost kill yourself. rather than just work up a sweat to flush out some shit from your body.

as an aside sauna and swim worked as a great hangover cure for me some years ago when living in an apartment block with a sauna. sounds torture, and the sauna wasn't entirely comfortable, but sweat a lot out of the crap off ya, then hop in the pool, and cool down and wash everyone away. worked a treat 90% of the time.

 

[J_Moore]

Surely once you're inside, whether it's winter or summer shouldn't matter too much? i did the hot/cold thing when snowboarding in NZ last year, and found it no worse than doing it in the Sydney summer.
I find it's only the first cycle of cold that's unpleasant. The next one or two aren't too bad at all.

 

[estibador]

I read an interesting thing a while back where a guy said his cold shower regime started to help with stress management in everyday life.

The theory being his body started to recognise when stress levels were rising (similar to when the cold water hits you) and was able to instinctively calm itself thanks to all the practice in the shower.

Nothing scientific, just one guy's experience, but I thought it was interesting.

 

[The Passenger]

Surely once you're inside

unless you have a good tempature control in your house (air con or heater) or an awesome design of house then you'll cop it.

today (sydney) in my house was so ****ing hot.... horrible. fans in my room, air con in my parents room. parents rooms is sweet as. complete control. my room is ok, but was at it's limit today. and when it gets cold in winter it's fine if you pump the heater...

but my place in melbourne, we had virtually nothing. heater in the lounge room downstairs but that was it. could warm up during winter, but aside from that if it was too hot you were ****ed nupstais - bathroom, and the two bedrooms - were pretty much at the mercy of the elements....

most places in extreme cold winters, i.e. new zealand, have good heating systems.

lived in ireland myself for two years and once you were inside you didn't notice the cold. it never got hot there.

 

[.Shotties.]

So I tried the cold / hot alternation after gyme yesterday and needless to say I now hate you all for putting the idea in my head.

 

[.Shotties.]

It was very effective, my legs normally stiff as anything after a workout but were fine this morning. It's more the sudden, er... I guess squeal would be the noise I made followed by loud heavy breathing in the showers.

I didn't remember just plain tap water being that cold. Ice baths would be awful. J_Moore was right though, after the first one it gets easier. Slightly. I did four lots, a minute cold then a minute warm. Roughly correct or is there a better way of doing it?