Ice Baths: The Cold Hard Truth

Since the beginning of my athletic journey, I have been taking warm showers after a practice or game, leaving my legs feeling heavy and weak. I always felt like my recovery was slow and my energy decreased as the season progressed. Recently, I decided to take a cold bath immediately after a long practice and the effects were immediate: my legs felt rejuvenated, my body felt more relaxed, and my mood improved. I began to add ice to these baths, testing my pain tolerance (I have always been fine handling cold temperatures). After learning some teammates use outdoor cold tanks, my dad and I researched outdoor ice baths. Our Ice Pod arrived several days later and it was, honestly, the most worthwhile purchase ever. The tank is big enough to fit your whole body and I noticeably feel the effects. So, I began to wonder - why are ice baths so beneficial for recovery?

It turns out, there is sooooo much science behind ice baths and how cold therapy works. On the most basic level, ice baths constrict blood vessels (referred to as vasoconstriction), which reduces swelling and soreness from strenuous activity. When you get out of the ice bath, blood vessels compensate for this constriction by increasing blood flow. 

Cold receptors cause smooth muscles in blood vessels to restrict, increasing blood pressure.

Most people agree that ice baths aren't the most comfortable activity. Ice baths are considered "painful experiences" by multiple health care sites. It is recommended that the water be between 50 and 59 degrees, and that an individual remain submerged for anywhere between 3 to 15 minutes. Longer submersion can lead to frostbite, hypothermia, and dangerously low circulation. The average swimming pool is over 80 degrees, so an ice plunge can definitely be a shock. I found starting with less time and gradually increasing each time you take a dip in the ice bath increased my tolerance for the frigid water. 

The benefits of cold therapy aren't just limited to reduced swelling and soreness. Ice baths are an excellent way to increase endorphins. Endorphins are released by the brain and act as a pain suppressant when the body is under strain. When endorphins attach to opiate receptors, dopamine is released, which is the hormone responsible for a happy feeling.

Endorphins are released, blocking pain perception. Endorphins then bind to opiate receptors, releasing dopamine.

However, there are also downsides to ice baths and it would be irresponsible and un-sciency to not mention these issues. For an endurance sport athlete, like myself, muscle bulk is not of utmost importance. Muscle structure is very important to an endurance sport like lacrosse, but agility and speed are equally as important. On the other hand, power lifters focus primarily on muscle growth and development. Some studies reported ice bath recovery leads to decreased muscle mass compared to other methods of recovery. Ice baths after an intense workout limit hypertrophy. Hypertrophy, the enlargement of an organ or tissue from the increase in size of its cells, is one of the immediate results of weight training. For body builders, consistent ice baths may not be as beneficial as they are for endurance sport athletes.

Healthy cells compared to hypertrophic ones.

I began interested in ice baths mainly because of the instant relief after a hard workout. On a hot day, the cold water can provide both an escape from the heat as well as a jolt of energy. When submerged in ice cold water, your body temperature plummets, forcing your hypothalamus (the location in your brain responsible for internal temperature control), to overcompensate and raise the body temperature back to normal. This "overcompensation" and return to normal temperature is incredibly healthy and beneficial for organ function.

Now, one of the most intriguing rumors I had heard about ice baths is that they were a weight loss  strategy. There is no solid evidence that ice baths lead directly to weight loss, but ice baths do help the human body burn calories, a process that inevitably results in a loss of weight. Being immersed in cold water activates brown fat, a type of tissue that produces heat to regulate body temperature at the expense of calories. When the temperature of your body is being threatened, brown fat tissue undergoes thermogenesis. Thermogenesis is the process of breaking down glucose and fat to help maintain your body temperature. White fat stores energy in larger droplets of fat than brown fat does. This characteristic of brown fat, which makes it more specialized and efficient for burning the droplets to produce fat. Brown fat is also home to a more densely populated mitochondria count, making them more efficient in cellular respiration. (Brown fat is also the mechanism by which babies stay warm, since they are unable to shiver at young ages.) So, ice baths are a scientifically proven method to burn calories (which is ironic considering how cold an ice bath is)! 

After my journey through the pros and cons of ice baths, it was clear that the science behind ice baths is real. Ice baths are proven to reduce swelling, improve mood, and burn calories. The popularity of ice baths has been growing over the years. Those that live in arctic countries take ice baths in natural bodies of water that freeze! Sounds intriguing, right? Unfortunately, to enjoy these benefits, you have to submerge yourself in freezing cold water...ice baths really are the coolest (ha!) way to recover!