5 potential benefits of ice baths
If you’re considering trying an ice bath, you might be wondering what the potential benefits are, and if it’s worth subjecting your body to the extreme cold.
The good news is there are some potential benefits of using an ice bath, especially for people who work out or are competitive athletes.
1. Eases sore and aching muscles
According to Gardner, the greatest benefit of ice baths, most likely, is that they simply make the body feel good.
“After an intense workout, the cold immersion can be a relief to sore, burning muscles,” he explains.
2. Helps your central nervous system
Gardner says an ice bath can also help your central nervous system by aiding in sleep, and consequently, making you feel better from having less fatigue.
Plus, he says it can help improve reaction time and explosiveness in future workouts.
3. Limits the inflammatory response
The theory, says Jey, is that decreasing the local temperature after exercise helps limit inflammatory response, decreasing the amount of inflammation and helping you recover faster.
4. Decreases the effect of heat and humidity
Taking an ice bath may decrease the effect of heat and humidity.
“An ice bath prior to a long race in conditions where there is an increase in temperature or humidity can lower core body temperature a few degrees which can lead to improved performance,” explains Gardner.
5. Trains your vagus nerve
One of the main benefits of an ice bath says certified strength and conditioning specialist Aurimas Juodka, CSCS, CPT, is being able to train your vagus nerve.
“The vagus nerve is linked with the parasympathetic nervous system, and training it can help you face stressful situations more adequately,” he explains.
This helps to reduce stress and anxiety and can help you with your mind.
– Spend no longer than 10-15 minutes,
– The temperature of an ice bath, says Gardner, needs to be approximately 10–15° Celsius or 50–59° Fahrenheit.
– Start with a cold bath and then Increase to adding in a bag of ice
– Try this every morning with a hot drink for 1-2 weeks and let me know how your feeling