So our trainers at our College won't let us make the training room ice bath any colder than 60 degrees. We're talking getting kicked out of the training room if we put more ice in the whirlpool. They say that 60 degrees is plenty cold enough to get the positive effects of the ice bath, but I don't believe this.
Can anyone confirm or rebuke our trainer's claim?
I graduated several years ago, but in college I would always try to take the ice bath temperature down. The trainer would tell me that it wasn't doing good and was a waste of ice. Well, we had a giant tube of ice, and it's just frozen water.
I never got any scientific evidence, but in my experience my legs felt better when the temperature was well below 60 degrees.
they keep our ice bath around 50. i think the range is 45-55 for best results, any colder it is bad and any warmer its still good but not as good
Says here 54 to 60 degrees F is the correct temperature range. It talks about the effects of significantly colder baths.
54 to 60 is right on.
When you're talking bout total immersion, you're getting the temperature of your tissue down very quickly. You can very easily damage your skin and even your muscle tissue by going under 50. I would generally keep it a bit cooler than 60, if only for the analgesic benefits, but I think it's better to be 65 than even 49. Honestly, even the average swimming pool is going to give you a lot of benefit.
Ice baths are just like workouts - more pain isn't necessarily better for you.
Are you at American University? I ran for them and nearly came to blows with the trainers there because I wanted to put ice in the damn ice bath.
800 dude wrote:
even the average swimming pool is going to give you a lot of benefit.
interesting comment. after long runs i sometimes jump in the pool which is about 72 degrees. i often just sit with my legs in the water. i have found this helps quite a bit.