Does anyone have any hard proof, studies, literature, etc that ice bath's provide the benefit that we all think they do? Our head athletic training allows us to do them, but he wants to know if there is any research out there to prove that they are beneficial. Any help is appreciated. Feel free to post here or email to me.
I have no scientific proof, but I do know that they help relieve the soreness and fatigue that I get in the muscles. When my son complains about his legs being tired and sore, I tell him to do the same thing.
I take an ice bath every Thursday before a Saturday race. Friday's run is usually not that great, but I'm ready to roll on Saturday.
None that I have seen.
Eastern Michigan was doing some "dirty" studies on ice baths, but nothing publishable (a friend teaches at EMU). Never heard the final results.
Here is how I would approach it: Have athletes give it a try; if they like them and think they work, then keep using them. If other athletes do not like them, do not press them to do it.
I have tried to come up with a method of evaluation but get caught in how to measure the response in a bonafide way.
you may have wanted someone to point you to an online document or something, but this is what ur going to get from me:
cold temperatures and ice reduce swelling, I say that assuming it is a generally accepted practice in the medical field. When you work out, you create microtears in your muscle, and cause them to swell (go work out and then flex while your still warm and notice how much bigger you look). On top of this, long distance running pounds the feet, shins, knees and well, everything. this all causes friction and swelling. ice helps get rid of this friction and swelling, thereby helping you recover faster.
Not sure if I'm explaining/remembering this properly... but when I was running in college our trainers explained a couple things about ice baths to me. An ice bath chills down your muscles, decreases the amount of blood flow to the muscles, thereby decreasing the amount of oxygen sent to the muscles, and sort of "starves" the little muscle spasms formed from microtears of oxygen. This forces them to "release". Also, I was told that it takes 3 hours for your muscles to essentially "cool down" before recovery of the muscle microtears begins. If you ice bath, you are getting a 3-hour headstart on the recovery process. I don't know of an article in a sports med journal or anything to reference this, but I'm sure you could check it out on google scholar or something... Not having to wait three hours to begin recovery means those FIRST three hours your body can begin recovery, AND THAT MEANS an extra three hours a day puts you at an extra 24 hours by the end of the week which is like being an EXTRA day ahead of the guy who isn't ice bathing...
I didn't mean it to sound that I don't know anything about them. We use them on a regular basis. I was just looking for some published material on it. I will continue my search on it. Thank you to all for you assistance.
Not sure where I sw it, may have been PSM, but a study came out over the summer witch stated there was no benefit to ice baths. It is recent material.
anyone with similar information related to stretching; static or dynamic (be specific)...
bump...
It doesn't make sense to me that decreasing blood flow/oxygen to strained muscles is beneficial, or that it results in a head start toward recovery. It certainly decreases pain and swelling, but for the normal soreness of routine training, I'm not convinced that it hastens recovery. Inflammation is one of the stages and necessary components of healing. I have seen no legitimate controlled studies supporting the practice, which of course doesn't preclude the possibility that there may be some reason why it works. I concur with the previous poster who said to try it and if you like it and think it works, go ahead with it.
I agree, not sure what it really does, but have been icing my knee while it gets better. (I actually think it has helped).
In any case, the ice might help reduce swelling during the short time you have the ice on the affected area (10 minutes), but within minutes of removing the ice, blood rushes back to the area, so I always wonder how much it really helps. Any ideas?
Yes. In cases of severe swelling, the swelling itself causes so much pressure that blood flow to the area is reduced. Icing it reduces the swelling to the point where the blood flow can get to the tissues and promote healing. There is a difference in what type of treatment might be indicated for inflammation of normal, minor muscle strains and major swelling where the inflammatory process (swelling) becomes a problem in and of itself.
Vin wrote:
Our head athletic training allows us to do them, but he wants to know if there is any research out there to prove that they are beneficial.
Nothing in science is ever proven, only supported.
Proof is in the mind of the beholder. Ultimately we can only prove something to outselves.
That's just f***ing stupid.
Ice baths work cause it increases/improves blood flow thereby increasing recovery time. Either way, it works right? So who cares.
In math there are proofs, and math is a science.
in english, the abstract says that icing will stave off delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) by reducing the swelling or edema to skeletal muscle after exercising.
i love science, but i hate scientific language.
zepdog1500 wrote:
in english, the abstract says that icing will stave off delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) by reducing the swelling or edema to skeletal muscle after exercising.
i love science, but i hate scientific language.
No it doesn't. It only says it reduces edema. Nothing new here. Move along.