I am going to run a 15 mile long run right now. When I get back I am going to alternate between hot and cold ice baths. I am going to start with a cold bath, then hot, then cold and so on. How many times does this need to be done, assuming 10 minutes in each tub. Also, I end on cold right? I would assume that you would end on cold to reduce inflammation, but maybe you want to end on hot to get blood to the muscles?
Nope, end on hot! I once got chills so bad when I ended up with cold that I was getting sick from it. I like 12 cold, 8 hot, 12 cold and then go down to the Jacuzzi for 20 minutes and finish off warm and loose!
Are you injured? Contrast baths are generally not your typical preventative modality. They are used immediately after the accute phase of an injury. 10-15 minutes of ice bath should be fine if you aren't injured. If you are (and you're past the accute phase) try alternating with much shorter time periods. 3 minutes is normally good but basically you're good to switch just a little bit after you've gotten used to the temp, whether it's hot or cold. c/h/c/h/c is fairly typical. The idea is to dilate and contract your vessels in a pumping action.
I'm not too sure if you end on hot, but when our xc/track team would go in the training room after practice, a few would do hot/cold alternating (if they had aches or injuries) but most of us would go in the ice bath for like 15 minutes. It would be in the low 50s. I know that getting in an ice bath helps heal your muscles because of the tears created in muscles after exercise. The ice bath does help to reduce inflammation. Note that you do the ice bath or whatever combo of ice/hot after you are done with stretching. I also used to bring an extra layer or wear dry practice gear after the ice bath to keep me from getting too after the ice bath. You can also wear a long-sleeved shirt if you are just doing your legs while in the ice bath to keep yourself warm. Hope this helps, good luck.
That will be torture on the family jewels! What are you thinking!
I already ice down for 15 min in the bath every day, i just thought the contrasting baths would be a change and keep it interesting.
RunThis wrote:
That will be torture on the family jewels! What are you thinking!
If you're fragile, yes.
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