When Should Athletes Take Ice Baths? Pat's Tips

It’s no secret that athletes and budding-athletes who take part in high intensity trainingput a huge toll on their bodies. If they don’t have a process that allows their body to recover from all that labor, it could harm their performance and potentially their long term health. In order to avoid this, specialists advise athletes to take ice baths to reap the various benefits. So, when should athletes take ice baths? I’ll talk you through exactly that 🤓

Taking ice baths is not as simple as it seems, and if you don’t know how the process works, you can injure yourself. In this article, we will answer various questions: what are ice baths? When should athletes take ice baths? How long for ice bath to be effective? What are the benefits of ice baths? These questions will serve as tips to give you an idea of what the process of ice bathing involves.

What Are Ice Baths?

Ice baths, also called cold water immersion (CWI), are a form of therapy used in sports. As the name suggests, it involves taking a bath in ice water after a workout for muscular relief and other benefits. This form of cryotherapy involves sitting in a tub of cold water. The water can reach up to your chest level or you can just do your legs or hands.

Anybody can have an ice bath after strenuous activity, but you need basic knowledge of the process.

For example, how long for ice baths to be effective, and when should athletes take ice baths? Before or after a workout? Ice baths have proven to be essential to many athletes and therefore are encouraged in their recovery process.

When Should Athletes Take Ice Baths?

The ideal time for athletes to take ice baths is after a stressful activity. Specialists advise that they hop in the tub immediately after a workout rather than waiting because the body starts the recovery quickly, and in the process, you can have inflammation.

Athletes should never have ice baths before strenuous activities. Ice baths relax the muscle and reduce tension and numb pain. When they work out after an ice bath, it takes longer for the muscles to recognize when there’s too much strain, and they end up pushing themselves too far.

How Long For Ice Baths To Be Effective?

For ice baths to be effective, you need to stay in the tub for 10-15 minutes. Going past 15 minutes can increase the risk of hypothermia. Most people stay in the tub for less than ten minutes which is equally effective. The important thing is that you stay in the tub for the full duration.

Benefits Of Ice Baths For Athletes

The core benefits ice baths provide for athletes include

1. Relaxing The Muscles

After a long workout session, the muscle tends to be sore. Sometimes the muscle aches might be due to trying out new exercises or pushing your body past what it’s accustomed to. Note that muscle soreness during a workout isn’t a bad thing, and it’s a hint that your muscles are getting stronger and getting used to your activity.

This phenomenon is known as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). Even though it’s a good thing, it’s uncomfortable and painful. Taking ice baths helps the muscles in your body relax and ease the pain. The ice water slows blood flow by constricting your blood vessels. One of the steps in using ice baths for managing DOMS is knowing how long for an ice bath to be effective.

2. Improves Mental Sharpness

When you’re not overstressed, and your muscles are not tired, your mental sharpness improves. Ice baths make athletes more focused and prepared for their next sporting activity.

3. Boosts Recovery

Athletes need enough time to recover to get their bodies ready for sports. When athletes don’t use the right measures for relaxing, they can become overworked, stressed, dull, and tired. One of the many benefits of ice baths is that it starts the recovery process for athletes. Athletes’ recovery is important for their well-being.

When they submerge part of their body in cold water, it loosens and relaxes taut muscles. If you’re wondering when should athletes take ice baths? It’s after strenuous activity, so they can give their body time to recover.

4. Improves Performance

The top priority of every athlete is to perform excellently in their field. A big part of achieving that is taking care of their physical and mental health. Athletes who take regular ice baths are more guaranteed to see an improvement in their performance because of the benefits they gain. Famous athletes who take ice baths are LeBron James, Anthony Davis, etc.

5. Reduces Inflammation

Athletes are prone to inflammation because after working out, our body starts the recovery process to restore oxygen, repair sore muscles, etc., and there is an increase in blood flow to areas of your body that need repair, which causes inflammation. When athletes take ice baths, it reduces the inflammation that comes with muscle repair.

Other benefits of ice baths are improving sleep, boosting the athlete’s mood, preventing injury, etc.

Tips For Ice Bath

1. Starts Slow

If you’re a beginner, the experience of ice baths might be jolting at first. It takes time, so you need to ease yourself into the process at first. If possible, make sure you have a more experienced person assist you while you do it. For your first try, there’s no need to have the water too cold and unbearable for you to sit still.

2. Don't Exceed 15 Minutes

With the permission of a specialist, you can have ice baths for about 10-15 minutes and nothing more. As a beginner, your ice baths should take 10 minutes and under. Going past the recommended time can have severe health consequences.

3. Seek The Opinion of your Doctor

Before you take an ice bath, you need to seek your doctor’s opinion to see if you’re fit to engage in the process. Individuals with high blood pressure, open wounds, cardiovascular diseases, type 1 and 2 diabetes, and other illnesses are not advised to take ice baths. A visit to the doctor to see if you are healthy in all areas will determine if it’s safe for you to have ice baths.

4. Don't do it every day

Ice baths are not the only way athletes can recover from stressful activities. Taking a cold shower can also be effective in relaxing the muscles, so taking ice baths every day is unnecessary.

5. Don't Go Below 50°-60°F

50°-59°F (10°-15°C) is the ideal temperature for ice baths, and you should not do anything below those numbers to ensure safety. If you’re a beginner, it’s best to start with a high temperature and then slowly ease your way to the recommended degree.

Final thoughts on budding athletes taking ice baths...

There is not much scientific backing for the importance of ice baths, but many specialists and athletes have discovered a difference in overall well-being after having an ice bath. Note that ice baths should be monitored by an expert because there are several side effects like hypothermia or cardiac arrest.

Thanks for reading along!

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So, When Should Athletes Take Ice Baths? Our Guide…