SiOWfa15: Science in Our World: Certainty and Controversy

Most competitive athletes have one thing in common: the hatred of ice baths. The ten minutes of hell after a workout or game is enough to make any athlete cringe. Some athletes swear by them while others do not believe they help at all, and the evidence is just as conflicting.

Let’s first take a look at the evidence against ice baths. An experimental study on ice baths was conducted at the University of Queensland in Australia that showed a correlation between the baths and hindered muscle adaptation. 21 subjects went through strength training workouts twice per week. Roughly half of the group sat in the ice bath for 10 minutes post workout while the others “warmed down” on a stationary bike. The bike group showed greater strength gain than the ice bath group. There could be many reasons for this. It is commonly known that muscle is really built during the recovery time after the workout, and using ice baths to speed up that process and reduce inflammation hinders the muscles ability to go through the full recovery process. The problem with the study is that it does not tell us what muscles the strength was measured from. If they were measuring leg strength (squats, for example), the extra bike ride could have helped build that strength, compared to sitting in tub for ten minutes. The study does say, however, that muscle biopsies were taken in the same study from the subjects. The stem cells needed for muscle building were “blunted” in the ice bath group for up to two days.

There is also good evidence that promotes the use of ice baths. I’ll admit that ice baths, no matter how awful they may be, make you legs feel incredible afterwards. An experimental study from the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport showed a positive correlation between ice baths and faster recovery times for runners. They had the same nine trained runners do two difficult running workouts on three separate occasions separated by a few days. For one of the tests, the runners took a 15 min ice bath at 46 degrees Fahrenheit between the two workouts. For the next two tests, they gave them a 59 degree ice bath and 15 minutes rest, respectively. After the baths/rest period, they were asked to run as far as they could to exhaustion. The runners ran 3-4 minutes longer when given the ice baths. This shows that the ice baths helped the runners recover faster for the second part of the workout, but did it help them in the long run? The cold water reduced some the muscle inflammation from the first workout, which made their legs feel better for the second, but this is not to say that it helps for long- term recovery

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There is also a third variable that needs to be looked at regarding the second study, which is the placebo effect. It could be the case that when the runners were given the ice baths, they thought that they had recovered faster and they pushed themselves harder because of it. Essentially, there is a possibility that it contributed to the runners’ mental toughness and they ran farther as a result. This does not mean, however, that their muscles were healthier because of it.

Now we see that there are multiple completely different schools of thought when it comes to ice baths and athletic performance. If you are in need of a quick recovery, i.e. if you have a game or a race in back to back days, ice baths could be the answer you are looking for. If you can help it, however, there is evidence supporting that it is a good idea to let your muscle soreness run its course, it’s all part of muscle building. If you’re an athlete, take a hard look at what you are trying to accomplish and see if ice baths are right for you.

Photo citation: www.strengthperformance.com