What is an Ice Bath?
An ice bath is hence a bath containing ice, water and in some occasions the bath might contain Epsom salts or any other substance of compound. Usually, the temperature of water varies between 28F and 59 F for about -2 C to 15 C. Everyone typically performs an ice bath and can take from a few minutes to an hour depending with individual’s objectives and pain threshold.
It goes with history back to the Romans and Greeks where they used the practice for personal as well as business purposes. Cultures in the past applied cold water immersion as part of treatment for several diseases and as a way of enhancing performance. Recently, ice baths have emerged as one of the effective practices that athletes and individuals who take workout use in the post-training and contest period to alleviate muscle soreness, and inflammation.
Ice Bath Benefits
Making it a point to do ice baths have so many benefits which make people incorporate it in their daily routines. Here, is a rundown of some of the most tangible benefits on ice bath that has been emphasized by research.
1. Improved Recovery
Cold showers are excellent because they help to eliminate pain and inflammation in the muscles after an intense training session. It achieved this by reducing heat on the body and narrowing blood vessels in the muscles thus reducing on swelling and inflammation. It further implies that getting back to optimum levels of performance could, therefore, be much faster.
In a study on thirty male athletes conducted in the Journal of Athletic Training in year 2000 indicated that an ice bath, after exercising reduced muscle damage and inflammation. Furthermore, the basic data demonstrated that the participants who took ice bath had a much shorter recovery time.
Enhanced Pain Relief
Frosting is used in management of pain due to its capacity to modify the sensation of the nerves together with reducing inflammation. There is evidence of how ice bath can help patients living with chronic pain resulting from conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, and migraines.
In the paper that appeared in the Pain journal in 2007, it was found that cold shower taken as a routine helped to reduce chronic pain in the participants. Moreover, early empirical study conducted in 2010 revealed that cold exposure has proven to be effective in alleviating migraines than placebo cure.
Boosted Immune System
Cold therapy such as icy showers can influence the production of white blood cell along with other immune system cells. While, the Journal of Behavioral Medicine in 2015 revealed that male athletes’ immune function got boosted through repeated cold water immersion. Studies have revealed that those participants who frequently exposed their bodies to cold weather had a higher count of white blood cells, which are bodies’ immune system warriors.
Increased Mental Resilience
Entering an ice bath can be a physically and mentally tiresome exercise that makes people to break barriers and strength their minds. It was also found that cold exposure leads to raised secretion of norepinephrine which is a hormone that helps in handling of stress and sharpening of brain. From the standpoint of the human mind it becomes clear that by conquering the fear and suffering associated with ice bath, people can defeat any personals obstacles.
Improved Circulation
Cold exposure cause vasoconstriction or closure of blood vessels paths and less blood supply reaches the skin. This process is useful in thermogenesis in the body during cold conditions or any time that the body needs to generate heat naturally without the aid of some external source such as the sun. After this time the body temperature is increased, blood circulation also gets back to the normal position, and the immune power also gets boosted up by the white blood cells.
According to the study done in 2013, cold water immersion helped in increasing the blood flow and also the sensitivity of insulin in the individuals. This effect could be particularly advantageous in those cases where people have diabetes and insulin resistance.
Better Sleep
Exposure to cold reduces sleep disturbances; it alters the circadian rhythms along with enhancing the secretion of melatonin hormone that induces sleep. If a person takes an ice bath before sleeping, they will be able to achieve better sleep quality necessary for the body needs.
Starting with Ice Baths
Before diving headfirst into the icy waters, there are a few things to consider:
Never start with very low temperatures and long session, instead, first, use warm water and little piece by piece increase lowering temperatures and time. Start with a few minutes and build up your time gradually, starting with five minutes and moving to ten, and so on.
The water temperature should not be too low because it may be hazardous to the body. Optimal operating temperature range for most molds should be between 28 and 59 degrees of Fahrenheit.
Throw in some Epsom salts or any other additives to make the ice bath less painful on the body and be more relaxing.
Make sure you stretch properly after every set with basic movements or a shower to avoid any effects on your body.
Always respect the signals your body sends you and never overdo it. Do not take a break in the case of having adverse effects such as dizziness, shortness of breath, or chest pain, contact your healthcare provider.
Conclusion
Ice baths have a range of positive effects: from training muscles to work more efficiently, to bolstering the mind. To enjoy all of the benefits attributed to cold swimming, you can include cold exposure into your schedule and lifestyle. The last important point, which may seem obvious but is worth stating separately, is to start slow and pay attention to your body and you won’t go wrong.
