After exercise, the body retains a lot of waste product that has built up in the blood supply to the muscles. The use of ice to reduce swelling, pain and inflammation is a practice that has been used for many centuries. So what happens to your body when you use ice baths?
You reduce soreness and inflammation
The cold water causes blood vessels to tighten or constrict sending blood closer to your core & heart to maintain warmth.
Circulation is then accelerated causing accelerated muscle recovery Lactic acid is efficiently flushed out of the body.
As a result, you reduce training adaptation (because you aren’t too sore to train) which then minimises fatigue and helps maximise performance.
Elite sports recovery maintain their cold baths between 8 degree to 12 degree. These temperatures allow the user to reach the desired 3-4 minutes whilst staying submerged to the neck.
By alternating between very cold and very hot water you create a muscle pump effect of built up lactic acid and waste. The hot water opens or dilates the blood vessels which were constricted during the ice bath that effectively flushes your system. Reported benefits include :
we address the cause of your pain, not just the symptom. we address the cause of your pain, not just the symptom.