Ice Baths for recovery

[Dr Squat]

Interested to know if anyone has used hot/cold techniques for recovery. I assume the strongman guys do. Seems like this could be an area to explore and enhance recovery for strength athletes.

http://biggerstrongersmarter.wordpress.com/2011/05/15/recovery-ice-baths/

[Darkmanx]

In my experience this method is good for almost any sports that requires you to train at high intesities. I use to this on a daily basis in my pro rugby days and it worked wonderfully. I have also been told by a few S&C coaches that this is good for almost any sport.

Anyway just my 2cents

[jimjim83]

I wont be happy if I go to the gym and see you in your speedos in an ice bath Dr.

[AgentOrange]

last time i woke up in a ice bath my kidney was missing and i felt very drowsy

[Jigga]

^ lol

[michaelk]

I've done Hot/Colds in the shower after a high rep workout. It's very brutal, putting fully pumped quads under as cold as I can handle for a minute, you feel the capillaries contracting (plus it #$%ing cold), then a minute of buring hot (opens them up again for fresh nutritent deliver - again its' #$%ing hot).

After a few goes, it feels really good (like getting out of a steamer into a burning hot shower after a mid winter surf - can't be hot enough).

The recovery is amazing, as much as I rate Compression gear, this was even more effective, after one hour I felt like my legs were half a day down the recovery pathway.

Only problem, its hard doing one leg at a time in the shower, a plunge pool or ice bath would be more efficient.

[nate225]

As with Mike I have done the contrast stuff with showers/baths, and I noticed that the Rugby boys have a collapsible Ice Bath in the gym (I'm hoping their S&C programme evaluates modalities scientifically before introducing them! :grin: ).

This was a part of my review a few years back now, will be a lot more updated studies no doubt.

HYDROTHERAPY

The use of water based modalities for recovery is certainly not a new practice, with the bathhouse being a regular part of life for ancient Romans. Despite this Angie Calder, Recovery & Performance consultant Australian Institute of Sport, states that this form of treatment is still very under-utilised in the Australasian region (http://www.nzrugbynet.co.nz).

Types of hydrotherapy include water based recovery sessions and thermal modalities such as hot pools, ice baths and contrast baths. Reaburn & Jenkins (1996) state “these water therapies promote both physiological and neurological recovery”.

So what does the research say?

Fahey & Romero (1991) state the use of heated whirlpools or tubs are excellent places for the early phase rehabilitation of injuries when targeting range of motion and strength recovery. This is due to the buoyancy of the human body reducing impact as well as the ability to utilise the water to add resistance. Whether this applies to general recovery as opposed to the treatment of specific injuries was not mentioned. The authors stated that Contrast Water Therapy (CWT) had been found to be extremely effective in treating oedematous body parts such as sprained ankles due to the increased localised blood flow attributed to the alternating dilation and contraction of blood vessels. Again whether this confers benefits in generalised recovery is not mentioned; however a recent study of elite

male rugby players Gill, Beaven & Cook found that post-match CWT facilitated a significantly faster recovery of creatine kinase levels than a passive recovery mode. However there was no significant difference between CWT recovery rates and those achieved by utilising a post-match active recovery session or post-match use of compression garments. Given the cost of the contrast baths many athletes and coaches may opt for the cheaper options of active recovery or compression garments to

achieve similar results.

In his 2004 review article Cochrane found there was very little research on the effects of post-exercise CWT on recovery times for athletes. Often research data from CWT use in treating acute injuries was used to support its use for athletes as a recovery method.

After reviewing the literature surrounding hydrotherapy treatments in relation to athlete recovery times, it is clear that more well controlled research is needed before it is possible to extol the virtues of these

modalities as viable treatments to enhance recovery.

[steak]

I use contrast showering all the time...works well for me. Tend to use it for 1min cold/1 hot/1cold/1hot/1cold then finish showering.

wasnt pleasant when i used it for healing the abductor though

[nate225]

I use contrast showering all the time...works well for me. Tend to use it for 1min cold/1 hot/1cold/1hot/1cold then finish showering.

wasnt pleasant when i used it for healing the abductor though

I used a similar approach and also thought it worked well.

Isn't there a reason you finish on cold, with certain exceptions??

[tomsammce]

What you guys think these methods would be like for hangovers?

[nate225]

What you guys think these methods would be like for hangovers?

Put your head under an icebath for 60 seconds should solve it....... permanently! :pfft: :grin:

Probably flush toxins through the body quicker & get the dehydrogenase enzymes working hard in your liver!

[steak]

I use contrast showering all the time...works well for me. Tend to use it for 1min cold/1 hot/1cold/1hot/1cold

wasnt pleasant when i used it for healing the abductor though

I used a similar approach and also thought it worked well.

Isn't there a reason you finish on cold, with certain exceptions??

i dont bro..maybe i should have said

"then finish showering on normal warm temp"

[nate225]

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/samp ... e-Bath.htm

I'm sure Louie advocated for finishing on cold unless it was prior to sleep? Cant be sure though?

[vracula]

been in the breakers locker rooms and they have these awesome cold/warm baths,looked really expensive.I'm pretty sure they are used in all most sports now,except chess maybe,is chess a sport?

[M.T]

What you guys think these methods would be like for hangovers?

LOL