Ice baths are more commonly referred to as cold showering or cryotherapies and are used widely in athletes and sportsmen. But what does the science say about their efficacy? This is a comprehensive look at the physiological changes and purported benefits of ice bath therapy.
Ice bath therapy is the practice of soaking oneself in a bath of ice for a certain period of time usually not less than 15 minutes then getting out of It.
Ice bath therapy means involving any part of the body or the whole body in cold water that is between 50-60°F or 10-15°C. An ice bath is different from a warm bath in that the cold smoothly stimulates the body’s temperature sensors, producing reactions that have been demonstrated to promote exercise recovery.
Ice baths can be taken full body by sitting on a tub of cold water for some time. Partial body ice baths include immersing the feet, legs or arms in cold water before, during, or after a sporting activity. There is still some ambiguity as to how long one should use ice bath therapy and how low the water should be. Further studies are required in order to determine the specific time span, frequency and water temperature that will bring positive effects.
The Physiological Responses
Now let us examine what occurs when your body is immersed in icy water? From your cardiovascular system to your nerves and immune cells, here’s a breakdown:From your cardiovascular system to your nerves and immune cells, here’s a breakdown:
Constriction of blood vessels
The cold water touching your skin sets off temperature receptors that relay messages along sensory nerves back into your spinal cord and brain. Your nervous system reacts by constricting blood vessels in your skin and extremities in an effort to minimize heat loss through the skin. This process is called vasoconstriction. The arteries narrow down, and so, there is less circulation of blood in the extremities of your body, with blood being diverted to the core to protect your internal organs.
Increased heart rate
Although the blood flow to skin is restricted, the total amount of blood flow in the body is increased due to the cold water. Your heart rate rises to push blood back to the central part of the body to regulate temperature.
Release of anti-inflammatory chemicals
Taking a shower in cold water activates your sympathetic nervous system’s “fight or flight” mode. As a part of this nervous system response, there are anti-inflammatory signals in the form of catecholamines. These are dopamine, norepinephrine, and adrenaline. Animal studies have demonstrated that the rise in these chemicals as a result of cold exposure can decrease inflammatory cytokines that exacerbate muscle damage after training.
Improved lymphatic circulation
Your lymphatic system helps with the removal of waste products in your body tissues. Lymph fluid is always in a low flow rate and has to rely on other factors such as muscle contraction to pump it through the lymphatic vessels. The cold from an ice bath causes your sympathetic nerves to come alive and your muscles will constrict on their own. These studies show that cold-induced muscle contraction help to promote lymphatic flow which may assist in removing excess metabolic products from the muscles when one is tired.
Boosted immune function
A research review carried out in 2020 showed that cold water stimulation has a positive impact in increasing functions of the immune system linked to fighting infection and disease. For instance, cold stress increases the number of immune cells in circulation, enhances the production of antibodies, and stimulates anti-viral immune responses. These immunomodulating effects are probably due to alterations in hormonal and anti-inflammatory molecules caused by cold water immersion.
The Proposed Benefits for Exercise Recovery
Thus in other words ice baths elicit a number of short term physiological changes such as vaso-constriction of blood vessels, tachycardia, anti-inflammatory substances release, enhanced lymphatic drainage, and immune system stimulation. However, the ways in which these responses are beneficial to the exercise recovery process are as follows: Here are some of the proposed benefits:Here are some of the proposed benefits:
1. Fewer muscle pain and tiredness
Thus, ice baths’ reduction of inflammatory chemicals and enhancement of blood flow after a training session may minimize secondary muscle damage and soreness. There are some researchers who showed that cold water immersion can help to decrease DOMS 12–48 h after training compared with passive rest. It may also be postulated that the clearing of metabolic waste from muscles through increase in lymphatic drainage may help to further eliminate post exercise fatigue.
2. Quicker Muscle Recovery & Remodeling
The increase in circulation and anti-inflammatory agents that are caused by ice bath therapy may aid in the repair of damaged muscles by delivering nutrients and oxygen to muscles that are fatigued from exercising. According to a review made one of the reviewers suggested that, athletes who subjected themselves to regular cryotherapy, had improved muscle strength and power as compared to the ones who only did passive recovery. But ice baths are still the subject of studies, and there are still no clear conclusions about their impact on long-term training processes, such as muscle hypertrophy.
3. Enhanced Endurance & Subsequent Production
This means that by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress after intense training sessions, ice baths may even prevent fatigue from building up instead of allowing it to occur. There is some evidence that endurance performance in the days following cold water immersion has been superior to warm water recovery. However, more research is still required as the improvement varies depending on the specific type of athletic activity.
Defining the Best Practice & Safety
Although the scientific evidence supporting ice bath therapy for exercise recovery appears promising, there are still significant unknowns to the best practices for its use and its overall effects. Majority of the studies have involved small groups of trained athletes and used different water temperatures and immersion times. Safety should also be taken into account since exposure to extremely low temperatures is dangerous and may lead to hypothermia. Any form of recovery modality intervention should begin with moderate intensity, and one should not engage in total body ice bath without prior consultation with a doctor.
Therefore, new findings indicate that cold water immersion elicits positive physiological responses that aid in the reduction of inflammation, the elimination of metabolic by-products, and the preservation of consecutive exercise capacity following high-intensity exercise. However, it is crucial to understand that individual responses may greatly differ from one another. When thinking about applying the ice bath therapy, you should discuss the proper usage of this method with your doctor, taking into account your fitness level, your health state, and exercising goals. It is recommended that you alter the water temperature and duration of immersion in order to notice and assess changes in the way your body responds to hard training.
