On Saturday, after my 11-ish mile run, I posted this on Twitter:
I really don’t want to put this into the tub. But my muscles will thank me later.
Yes, that is a ladder in my bathroom. I was in the middle of repairing the ceiling.
I did ultimately put the ice into the tub and it wasn’t as bad as I thought. The tough part was when the ice hit my feet, weirdly enough. That was exceptionally cold.
What is an ice bath, you ask? Well, for me, it means after a long run, I take off my shoes and socks and climb into the tub (shorts or running skirt still on) with a recovery beverage. I then start to fill the tub with cold water and once it’s starting to cover my legs, I add the ice. Much less shocking that way. I sit there maybe 15-20 minutes. The thinking is that it reduces swelling and soreness.
How does it work? According to an article in Runner’s World,
Cryotherapy (“cold therapy”) constricts blood vessels and decreases metabolic activity, which reduces swelling and tissue breakdown. Once the skin is no longer in contact with the cold source, the underlying tissues warm up, causing a return of faster blood flow, which helps return the byproducts of cellular breakdown to the lymph system for efficient recycling by the body. “Ice baths don’t only suppress inflammation, but help to flush harmful metabolic debris out of your muscles.”
The research on ice baths seems to be up in the air. One recent study indicates that they’re better than doing nothing, but equal to stretching and compression gear.
So from my point of view, whether or not ice baths work is still up in the air. Some people swear by them. All I know is that it definitely feels good. I finish a long run, do some light stretching and then climb in. When I finish my cool down walk, all I want to do is sit down and rest my legs, and this is one way to do that and still continue the recovery.