Ice Baths - Are they worth it?

Ice Bath s for Recovery - Who's in? When do you ice bath? 😨

A very popular tool in sport to improve recovery but for who and why?
Despite being one of the most popular recovery forms it has also been much debated in its benefits. The key here is to look at what you are hoping to achieve and subsequently the timeline to achieve it!

Studies show what about Cold Water Immersion (CWI):
*Improved feeling of recovery (reduced fatigue) for athletes (24-72hrs)
*Improved strength/power recovery (24-72hrs)
*Improved endurance performance recovery (24-72hrs)
*Reduced performance recovery in sprinting (24-72hrs)
*Improved mitochondrial biogenesis/ vascularity, basically aerobic adaptation (long term)
*Reduced strength and hypertrophy (long term)
*Body mass & body surface area significantly affect use of CWI for individuals

Conclusion
Ice baths have a place for some acute recovery, i.e. in competition if competing over multiple days, but can inhibit longer term adaptation to exercise. Biggest improvements are in centralised physiological aerobic adaptation but can reduce peripheral muscular adaptation.
Most effective water temperature considered to be 10-15 degrees celsius with greater duration for higher fat individuals compared to lean individuals (rugby player vs marathon runner). Less time is also recommended for those with higher surface area relative to mass. On this note females generally require less time in CWI.