Ice baths - good, bad, or it depends?

Personally in the 2-3 weeks that matter the most in the year (outdoor championship season) I have an epson bath followed by an ice bath after every single run and spot treatment with ice if I have a injury. I personally find it helps alot. I wouldn't really recommend that for 52 weeks out of the year though

It is good and bad, if depends.

You can find some infographics that might help.

My thoughts now are to do them during the season but not pre-season.

Magic Bob wrote:

Any thoughts / personal experiences?

I know some elites use them, but I also hear that they can reduce improvements too (possible benefits of inflammation, etc). My impression (feel free to correct) is that they were traditionally recommended for distance runners, but that there is a bit of a backlash now.

Thinking more in terms of general training use rather than acute injury treatment.

During my competitive years in high school and college I never took ice baths. However, when I got older and started to train for marathons (in my 30s) I started taking ice baths after runs longer than 2 hours (~ 17 miles for me). I've been doing this now for 10+ years during marathon build-ups and I think it does speed up recovery. I don't know the science behind ice baths but my impression is that it helps with the inflammation / wear and tear from all the jarring your legs take during a 2+ hour run.

Typically, I try and get in the ice bath within 1 hour of finishing a long run and I stay in the bath for 15 minutes. I still do spot icing for any injuries as needed.

On the rare occasion that I have to skip an ice bath I definitely notice a difference in the way my legs feel 1-2 days post long run. After an ice bath my legs feel great and fresh. Without the bath I am usually stiff and sore for a day or two.

Hi! It might be interesting to read up a little bit more on Ice Baths, and the science behind them. Do they actually work? Well, from a sports medicine standpoint there isn't much evidence to say they promote an anti-inflammatory response or reduce DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), and more research is definitely required in the effects of Ice Bathing after HIIT sessions. There are better recovery methods out there, that have more scientific backing. I like to diversify my recovery methods across the week.

So, then why do they make us feel good then, doesn't every elite runner ice bath?

The placebo effect may arise from the fact that the CWI (cold water immersion) causes vasoconstriction (narrowing of the arterial vessels in the peripheries) and the feeling of the warm blood rushing in from the core when one gets out of the bath can give an invigorating feeling and make you feel good. This gives the feeling of improved perceived recovery. It also may decrease the effects of heat and humidity, if the athlete is playing or training in those types of environmental conditions, by lowering the core temperature a degree or so.

Click my link to learn more:

https://larahamilton.com/ice-bath-after-running/