Ice Baths? Pass on the Ice & Go Natural Instead: Your Muscles Will Thank You!
by Melinda Burris Willms

Ice baths were originally used as a method for relieving inflammation because of the mistaken belief that bringing the body temperature of muscle groups down to a very low point would in turn lower blood pressure, and that this decreased blood flow would alleviate the inflammation of the muscles. Having assuaged the inflammation and slowed the blood flow, the principle held that the damaged muscles would be best positioned to recover as quickly as possible.[1] While there are doubts and debates among doctors about the effectiveness of the ice bath method for successfully treating inflammation, there is general agreement that once the body adjusts to the cold temperatures of the ice bath, the “numbing sensations of the cold water momentarily reduce muscle pain.” The primary concern of the doctors doing the research case studies was to ascertain if there was potential for long term damage to the muscles or the body in general, from sitting submerged in ice. These concerns proved to be well-founded when a case study showed that regularly taking ice baths following strength training exercise “reduces the ability of the muscles to repair and regenerate.”[2]

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Professor David Cameron-Smith is a nutritionist and the Associate Director at the Liggins Institute, a health center and research facility at the University of Auckland, where three independent investigative case studies were conducted analyzing and evaluating the benefits and detriments of ice bath therapy to inflammation and muscle strength.[3] Cameron-Smith and a group of doctors and scientists from countries around the globe, including New Zealand, Australia, Norway and Japan, worked together on the series of case studies. The results demonstrated that ice baths are not an effective treatment for inflammation and recovery, and can in fact be harmful.[4]

As part of one of the case studies, which studied strength gains over a 90-day period, participants were chosen at random to either have an ice bath or take a low impact ride on a stationary bike following a strength workout. An analysis of the data showed that the participants assigned to have the ice baths made less significant “muscle and strength gains.”[5] The study results regarding ice baths and inflammation also proved lackluster, with additional research demonstrating “no benefit when it comes to reducing inflammation.”[6]

How Ice Baths Interfere with the Body’s Natural Healing Process

It should be noted that this research also reaffirmed the importance of the human body’s natural process of inflammation. Respecting this process and allowing it to work as intended is vital to ensuring the body’s process of repair and recovery works fully and as quickly as possible. Dr. Cameron-Smith notes that the findings from every study in the series agree on some key results which demonstrate that far from being beneficial, ice baths are actually detrimental, impeding the body’s natural healing process and weakening strength conditioning levels.[7]

Rather than proving to beneficial, ice baths have been demonstrated to be harmful in the following ways:

Adverse Reactions to Ice Baths

1. Do not reduce muscle inflammation.
2. Diminish muscle size.
3. Weaken muscle strength.

Surprising Advantages to Ice Baths for ‘Elite Athletes’:

• According to Dr. Cameron-Smith, “A lot of elite athletes that are performing to quite late at night… it’s extremely hard for them to switch off. And so, ice baths are a way of switching off.”[8] Research has found the most important thing for recovery after an intense bout of exercise is sleep.
• Cameron-Smith says the ice bath study findings don’t effect ‘elite athletes’ as much as amateur and semi-pro players because the research demonstrates their bodies are already so well-honed they do not suffer nearly as many negative consequences as other users. For them, he notes, ice baths are more a matter of “being a waste of time”[9] unless, as noted above, they are willing to try an ice bath in search of a good night’s sleep.

Final Takeaways:

1. Don’t give up your ice pack![10] There is (obviously) a big difference between submerging yourself in a freezing ice bath and applying an ice pack when necessary for the occasional sprain or swelling. Respecting the inflammation and recovery processes doesn’t mean we can’t use common sense measures to help them along. If you do have a sprain or experience swelling and it is not alleviated within a short time, see your physician. Caution is wise!
2. Cameron-Smith recommends remembering the acronym RICE: rest, ice, compression, and elevation; these are the steps to minimize injuries that occur during workout until you can visit your health care provider.[11]
3. Don’t be a hero. Don’t buy in to the ‘no pain, no gain’ myth. Pain is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong. Listen! Otherwise, Cameron-Smith warns, “If you continue when you’ve got that muscle damage, you’ll just simply make it worse.”[12]
4. Try the gentle recovery approach. This technique calls for concentrating on each movement that you make and being attentive to detail, watching and noting how your muscles react to different forms of exercise and adapting your workout regimen accordingly. Gentle recovery technique also requires paying that same amount of attention to recognizing how your body is responding to various recovery techniques and adapting your recovery routine to find what works best for you. Gentle recovery technique is defined as a series of “gentle, repetitive movements” of a particular muscle or muscle group for approximately 30 minutes.[13]
5. A successful recovery process is marked by careful attention to adequate hydration, a high protein diet and a good and regular sleep regimen. In order for inflamed muscles to heal, they must be keep active. As Cameron-Smith explains, “there is something about moving muscles that helps them repair more efficiently.”[14]

So why the push for something as obviously extreme as ice baths anyway? Professor Cameron-Smith offers his own take on the phenomena asserting,

“Sports culture is a fascinating thing . . . We expect so much of athletes, and place them under such extreme pressures in terms of their need to perform that they’re really on that fine edge. We put their bodies under enormous stress with such enormous expectations around the most minute reaction time.”[15]

There is obvious truth to Cameron-Smith’s contention. Just ponder the enormous wealth of superstar athletes and athletic companies like Nike (one of many), money made by the media for broadcasting events, so there is a lot of pressure to perform at your optimum potential at all times with so many dollars and so many fans dependent on you. But . . . shortcuts are rarely worth it; and the scientific results are in, three times over! Ice baths are not a healthy option. Try one or a mix of the healthier options listed above instead!

Notes

[1].  Nine to Noon, Ice baths: a ‘bone-chilling waste of time’ (blog), March 7, 2017 (10:10 a.m.), http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201835699/ice-baths-a-‘bone-chilling-waste-of-time‘.

[2].  David Cameron Smith. “Ice Baths Delay Recovery” March 22, 2017.

https://www.lesmills.com/knowledge/fitness-research/ice-baths-delay-recovery/

[3].  Jamie Christian Desplaces. “Ice Baths? Not Cool,” Verve Magazine, (August, 2017). https://vervemagazine.co.nz/ice-baths-not-cool/.

[4]. David Cameron Smith.

[5]. Ibid.

[6]. Ibid.

[7]. Nine to Noon.

[8]. Ibid.

[9]. Ibid.

[10]. Ibid.

[11]. Ibid.

[12]. Ibid.

[13]. Ibid.

[14]. Ibid.

[15]. Jamie Christian Desplaces. “Ice Baths? Not Cool,” Verve Magazine, (August, 2017). https://vervemagazine.co.nz/ice-baths-not-cool/.

Bibliography

Desplaces, James Christian. “Ice Baths? Not Cool,” Verve Magazine, (August, 2017). https://vervemagazine.co.nz/ice-baths-not-cool/

Nine to Noon, Ice baths: a ‘bone-chilling waste of time’ (blog), March 7, 2017 (10:10 a.m.), http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201835699/ice-baths-a-‘bone-chilling-waste-of-time‘.

Smith, David Cameron. “Ice Baths Delay Recovery” March 22, 2017.
https://www.lesmills.com/knowledge/fitness-research/ice-baths-delay-recovery/

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