The ice bath. I am sure you have heard of people taking an ice bath. It sounds like something that is reserved for the professional athlete or serious ultramarathon runner. Truth, it is for anyone who needs it. This could be you, and if so, I recommend you start trying out an ice bath from time to time.
Do I Need an Ice Bath?
This is where you should start. Pretty much if you are sore as crap, or maybe just unusually sore, you may want to try out an ice bath. An ice bath is not something you need everyday. But is you have recently done some intense training and you would like to recover quickly for some more training…Ice bath it up.
Benefits of an Ice Bath
Straight from Runner’s World:
“Cryotherapy (“cold therapy”) constricts blood vessels and decreases metabolic activity, which reduces swelling and tissue breakdown. Once the skin is no longer in contact with the cold source, the underlying tissues warm up, causing a return of faster blood flow, which helps return the byproducts of cellular breakdown to the lymph system for efficient recycling by the body. “Ice baths don’t only suppress inflammation, but help to flush harmful metabolic debris out of your muscles,” says David Terry, M.D., an ultrarunner who has finished both the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run and the Wasatch Front 100-Mile Endurance Run 10 consecutive times.”
That broken down:
- Reduces swelling and tissue breakdown
- After the cold, increased blood flow makes you superhuman like
- Flushes the bad crap out of muscles
Simple as Pie Ice Bath Instructions
- Step 1: Purchase 2-5 10lb. bags of ice (ranging from a home bath to a horse bath size)
- Step 2: Put the ice in a bath tub with cold water
- Step 3: Sit in the ice bath for 10 minutes and think about how much you hate me for suggesting an Ice Bath.