Ice Baths - How often during summer base training?

every 6 hours if you REALLY want to get better

Are you serious? Do elites get in an ice bath everyday? or just after the moderate intensity longer runs during the base phase?

never use ice baths. your muscles get inflamed for a reason. inflammation IS the recovery process.

Adam Goucher uses ice baths

Josh Cox and Meb dip their legs in the creek

so i think ice baths help

i just think it sounds crazy to do an icebath everyday, i mean id do it without hesitation if it'd help me run faster, but my gut tells me to limit the ice baths to like 2-3x/week? too much of these intense super cold ice baths where your legs go numb doesnt sound like a good thing...i could be wrong though

A lot of the most successful college programs have their guys ice bath everyday for example: Wisconsin

No, none of it does anything. They don't help you recover nor do they slow recovery. They do feel nice, though.

Ice Baths do help, see the following articles for proof.

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-241-285--12810-0,00.html

http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=8731

http://triathlon.competitor.com/2009/05/training/fun-in-the-tub-the-benefits-of-taking-an-ice-bath_1257

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/sa/treatment_room/features/newsid_3097000/3097114.stm

wow that's interesting, something i didnt KNOW!!!! do you have a link showing that they actually do this?

Dicky V wrote:

A lot of the most successful college programs have their guys ice bath everyday for example: Wisconsin

Ice baths are so gay! everyone thinks they help so much. Sleeping is a better recovery and more enjoyable.

true dat:)

doggpound wrote:

Ice baths are so gay! everyone thinks they help so much. Sleeping is a better recovery and more enjoyable.

Why doesn't anyone ever consider the fact that ice baths tighten up your muscles, as in they push blood away, slowing recovery. If your legs are that inflamed, then your training too hard. Tightness leads to injury as muscles get imbalanced and joints then get irritated. Not too mention really skinny runners get very cold. Lowering your body temperature is unhealthy and increases risk of illness.

LK ASDFWE wrote:

Are you serious? Do elites get in an ice bath everyday? or just after the moderate intensity longer runs during the base phase?

Sorry I was tired and trolling, anyway, I'd say experiment. Do what feels best. Nothing wrong with doing it everyday if you have time.

agreed. common sense tells me that every once in awhile after very hard workout or long run is when they are best. so perhaps consider doing them after whatever is your relative medium-hard to hard effort(s) during the week.

runinto wrote:

Why doesn't anyone ever consider the fact that ice baths tighten up your muscles, as in they push blood away, slowing recovery. If your legs are that inflamed, then your training too hard. Tightness leads to injury as muscles get imbalanced and joints then get irritated. Not too mention really skinny runners get very cold. Lowering your body temperature is unhealthy and increases risk of illness.

TCB wrote:

never use ice baths. your muscles get inflamed for a reason. inflammation IS the recovery process.

wait my understanding was that inflammation is THE EATING AWAY of body tissue, because the body doesn't know whether it's some sort of an infection or just a plain old injury. So I thought that cutting out the inflammation is getting rid of the eating away, while keeping the repair process in tact? Anyone know the answer to this?

TCB wrote:

never use ice baths. your muscles get inflamed for a reason. inflammation IS the recovery process.

wait my understanding was that inflammation is THE EATING AWAY of body tissue, because the body doesn't know whether it's some sort of an infection or just a plain old injury. So I thought that cutting out the inflammation is getting rid of the eating away, while keeping the repair process in tact? Anyone know the answer to this?

Not saying this is fact for everyone but when I take ice baths or stretch or anything like that, I always end up hurt. You can show me all the studies you want but I know what works for me. I just run and my teammates wonder how I never get injured like they do.

Ice baths are the thing to do as part of a I run for D1 so im soooo cool recovery package. it sounds sexy to say you've done them, but benefit is questionable. i find stretching, eating recovery food, water, sleeping a lot, and maybe a shakeout run later in the day is more beneficial

i run D1 and ice bath everyday that i run. for me its more of injury prevention from tendonitis and tight muscles. i have never heard of a limit to ice baths...i actually like to contrast. do 4 minutes in a hot bath, 2 in the ice, 4 hot, 2 ice, 4 hot, 2 ice. i hear it gets your blood flowing better and helps speed recovery. although, im not sure how much it helps soreness.

I hear that the kenyans do nothing but run and then get packed in ice. Not only keeps 'em healthy but cuts down on aging too.