ICE BATH: PROFESSIONAL REGENERATION

January 1 has been unofficially established as the Polar Bear Plunge Day. This is the day that thousands of courageous souls don swim trunks and bikinis to splash their way into icy cold winter waters (or at the very least dip their toes). Let us explore if this is merely a fleeting seasonal fad, or an icy experience that is truly beneficial to our health.

The use of ice is one of the most common ways to reduce pain and swelling in an injured area. One of the earliest memories that pops into my head was when I fell from the jungle gym in kindergarten, and my parents ran to my aid with a bag of frozen peas to try and soothe the pain and the bump on my forehead. This actually worked.

Cryotherapy as a means to regeneration, and speedy recovery?

Professional athletes have been using ice baths for a long time, and most gyms are already equipped with tubs for cold dives. Observing this new trend indicates that the use of this method has also been extended to leisure activities and sports. As its popularity grows, it’s important to explore how cryotherapy works, but more importantly, to see if it’s a good decision for you to try at all, or apply in the long run.

Why immerse yourself in icy pleasures after an intense workout?

An ice bath, also known as cold water diving, is a form of cryotherapy in which an athlete sits in chilled water within a specified period of time following significant physical exertion.

It has numerous positive physiological effects:

• Facilitates healing and recovery.
• Soothes pain
• Reduces the risk of injury by speeding up healing processes, allowing you to prepare more effectively for your next workout.

Several studies have observed the benefits of ice baths after athletic performance. A larger proportion of research has confirmed that the benefits listed above are accurate. Many athletes are advocates of ice bathing, as they experience significant improvements in both recovery and performance after the activity, and athletic coaches also seem to confirm this thesis.

So what happens to your body when immersed in ice-cold water?

• After an extremely intense and strenuous workout or competition the body’s temperature rises, as you push your cardiovascular system and lung capacity to their limits, putting immense strain on your muscles. After a hardcore workout, hobby athletes and those preparing for a competition can both suffer from muscle fatigue. Muscle fever is a mechanical damage that affects muscle fibers, causing inflammation and pain. An ice bath is a great solution to treat muscle fatigue, since it reduces muscle pain by 20%
• Ice bathing reduces tissue swelling and micro-injuries in the muscle, speeding up the regeneration process
• The icy experience contributes to the contraction of blood vessel walls, thus slowing down metabolism. When the body is no longer immersed in water, the blood vessels dilate again, resulting in accelerated flow of fresh blood, which is particularly effective in evacuating harmful by-products from the system.
• Cold decelerates synaptic transmission in the neural network, thereby reducing the feeling of pain

Put some ice on it! Here’s how…

After a strenuous workout or a painful injury, you may think of icing as a life-saving solution to pain and swelling. Here are some tips you should keep in mind during execution:

Local treatment

• Place an ice pack (or the aforementioned frozen peas) on the wounded area. Icing is most effective immediately following the injury
• To prevent frostbite or surface damage, it is better to wrap a kitchen towel over the ice pack.
• Keep the ice pack on for 10-15 minutes at a time on the wounded area. You can repeat this several times a day if the pain and swelling persists.

Ice bath

• Most studies recommend that it is ideal to ice bathe for up to 10-15 minutes at 12-15°C.
• To be on the safe side, make sure that there is another person nearby. If you start to feel lightheaded, numb or suddenly fatigued, call for help at once.

About 30-60 minutes later, warm yourself up with a pleasant, warm bath or a nice hot beverage, as the cold will make your muscles tense and stiff.

Why is iCOOL an ideal choice, when it comes to ice baths?

ICOOL is the only product in its category on the market designed specifically for athletes. It is a high quality cooling system, specializing in rehabilitation and regeneration.

There are quite a few versions and designs, which doesn’t make it easy for customers to make a choice. Various bathtubs and cooling units are available in the market. The IcePod  is designed specifically for one person or a small team, its primary concept is to save space.

The Team Recovery Pool is the first full-size plunge pool in the world, designed specifically for stadiums, sports clubs, associations, schools, universities, fitness clubs and hotels. They are the most widely installed therapeutic ice baths in the world.

There is range of products that are capable of contrast therapy – aside from cooling, they can also heat the pool’s water. iCOOL systems are able to maintain the temperature we set with great precision and consistency for as long as needed. The desired temperature can be set via a touch screen panel.

Fun fact

iCOOL is used in all world competitions, Olympics, Paralympics, and in Tour de France.

Summary

• Remember that you should never freeze any part of your body or take an ice bath before running, racing or any other workout. The body should be warm before these activities. Ice can reduce your stamina and delay your body’s reaction time.
• Ice baths should only be used for regeneration after the heaviest workouts or competitions. Ice baths should be avoided during the body building phase, as research has shown that icing after strength training can actually slow down the growth of new muscles, so if the goal of the workout is to increase strength, it may not be the best choice for you.
• After a hard workout or competition, pay close attention to rehydration and replenishing with healthy, wholesome food so that your body may regenerate as swiftly as possible.

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