ice bath?
- Thread starter eli_cheez
- Start date
eli_cheez said:
Cryotherapy is the formal name for this type of recovery process.
Basically you submerge your body in to ice cold water (or an ice chamber).
This treatment helps the body recover faster and allows the muscles to recover more quickly through the rush of blood back through ones system.
When one is exposed to very cold temperatures, the body diverts all blood back to the major organs, away from peripheral areas like your legs/arms.
When the athlete gets out of the bath, and as the body warms up, blood flows back to the peripheral regions. the flow of blood helps to reinvigorate the muscles and helps eradicate lactic soreness.
Our elite cyclists here use this form of recovery.
This has been used by some trainers but is not a good idea at all. The reasoning behind this is supposedly to draw blood out of the muscles and then allow it to rush back in.
Let me start by saying this is extremely dangerous is not practiced by the Olympic team or the National Academy of Sport Medicine because it does more damage than benefits. In fact, it hasn't been shown to provide any real decrease in recovery time. Shocking your central nervous, cariovascular and respiratory systems by freezing your body is never a good idea. Especially when your core temp is elivated due to physical training. I am a personal trainer and thus the advice below is what we recommend.
If you are wanting to speed up recovery time, there are a couple of things you should do. First and foremost is monitor your diet. Gluatamine L is great supplement you can take to help your muscles heal. Creatine is another since the muscles burn ATP-Creatine during a workout. Lastly is Calcium with Magnesium.
Another thing is the foam roal. This is call Myofascial Release. This is a technique that uses a foam roll to message over the surface of the mucle. Once a sore spot is found, you hold the foam roll there and apply pressure. By applying pressure you are allow the Goldis Tendons to relax, you are forcing the swelling down, and you are allowing the tissue trama to relax and blood to re-enter the site to promote healing. Some atheletes use hydotherapy to quicken healing time. This is like a hot tub with jets that message the body and through the messgae and the heat, blood flow is increased and healing is quickened.
To learn more about how to use a foam roll, I would recommend that you speak to a professional trainer since you need to learn the proper technique. You can also check out this website for more information http://www.nasm.org/ContinuingEducation/Articles/SimpleGuideStretching.aspx. Here is talks about stretching and the myofascial stretching that will relieve pain and promotes healing. This was posted by the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or visit our site at www.TrailheadPerformance.com.
Let me start by saying this is extremely dangerous is not practiced by the Olympic team or the National Academy of Sport Medicine because it does more damage than benefits. In fact, it hasn't been shown to provide any real decrease in recovery time. Shocking your central nervous, cariovascular and respiratory systems by freezing your body is never a good idea. Especially when your core temp is elivated due to physical training. I am a personal trainer and thus the advice below is what we recommend.
If you are wanting to speed up recovery time, there are a couple of things you should do. First and foremost is monitor your diet. Gluatamine L is great supplement you can take to help your muscles heal. Creatine is another since the muscles burn ATP-Creatine during a workout. Lastly is Calcium with Magnesium.
Another thing is the foam roal. This is call Myofascial Release. This is a technique that uses a foam roll to message over the surface of the mucle. Once a sore spot is found, you hold the foam roll there and apply pressure. By applying pressure you are allow the Goldis Tendons to relax, you are forcing the swelling down, and you are allowing the tissue trama to relax and blood to re-enter the site to promote healing. Some atheletes use hydotherapy to quicken healing time. This is like a hot tub with jets that message the body and through the messgae and the heat, blood flow is increased and healing is quickened.
To learn more about how to use a foam roll, I would recommend that you speak to a professional trainer since you need to learn the proper technique. You can also check out this website for more information http://www.nasm.org/ContinuingEducation/Articles/SimpleGuideStretching.aspx. Here is talks about stretching and the myofascial stretching that will relieve pain and promotes healing. This was posted by the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or visit our site at www.TrailheadPerformance.com.
yoyo583 said:
You're correct to point out that Cryotherapy has had it critics.
The criticism's include that this form of recovery can be dangerous for people with circulatory problems, blood pressure problems.
Personally I recommend a half hour swim in a swimming pool after a tough days cycling (tough day being 6+ hours).
I find this type of recovery treatment best for me.
I would have to disagree. Cryotherapy is beneficial when you have a localized injury-ie a sprained ankel. The thought of treating the entire body through a freezing process can do more damage and harm then good. In fact Cryotherapy is most commonly used in the medical field to destroy skin tumors, precancerous skin moles, ect... The reasoning behind Cryotherapy is to increase blood flow and this can be done my merely increasing the tempurature of ones body and messaging the body. There is no need to torture the immune, cardio, resperatory or nervous system.
Basically you submerge your body in to ice cold water (or an ice chamber).
This treatment helps the body recover faster and allows the muscles to recover more quickly through the rush of blood back through ones system.
When one is exposed to very cold temperatures, the body diverts all blood back to the major organs, away from peripheral areas like your legs/arms.
When the athlete gets out of the bath, and as the body warms up, blood flows back to the peripheral regions. the flow of blood helps to reinvigorate the muscles and helps eradicate lactic soreness.
Our elite cyclists here use this form of recovery.[/QUOTE]
Basically you submerge your body in to ice cold water (or an ice chamber).
This treatment helps the body recover faster and allows the muscles to recover more quickly through the rush of blood back through ones system.
When one is exposed to very cold temperatures, the body diverts all blood back to the major organs, away from peripheral areas like your legs/arms.
When the athlete gets out of the bath, and as the body warms up, blood flows back to the peripheral regions. the flow of blood helps to reinvigorate the muscles and helps eradicate lactic soreness.
Our elite cyclists here use this form of recovery.[/QUOTE]
I agree. A swim a great idea. Increases flexibilty and promotes blood flow.
The criticism's include that this form of recovery can be dangerous for people with circulatory problems, blood pressure problems.
Personally I recommend a half hour swim in a swimming pool after a tough days cycling (tough day being 6+ hours).
I find this type of recovery treatment best for me.[/QUOTE]
The criticism's include that this form of recovery can be dangerous for people with circulatory problems, blood pressure problems.
Personally I recommend a half hour swim in a swimming pool after a tough days cycling (tough day being 6+ hours).
I find this type of recovery treatment best for me.[/QUOTE]
It makes sense to me that increased blood flow speeds recovery. So warmth, massage, and swim make sense. It doesn't make sense to me to *decrease* that blood flow for 1/2 or however long you take the bath. That said, I've tried the ice bath and it felt good. But plenty of things feel good that don't help my cycling. I wonder if there's any evidence that ice baths make recovery faster/slower/easier/harder/no change, etc.
[/QUOTE]yoyo583 said:
Forget the ice baths, pills and powders. It's all hogwash.
After a long session, for me 5 hours in the mountains of Japan with climbs of 15% and 17%, at 64 years of age all I need is 3 spoons of protein powder mixed with non-fat milk,water and a banana. Followed by a plate of brown rice with a can of tuna mixed in, and if I'm still hungry - 2 slices of bread and tahini.
Then 10 minutes lying on my back with my feet placed on a wall at a 45 degree angle. Actually this is so relaxing I usually fall asleep. Yesterday after 5 hours in the saddle I fell asleep in this position for 30 mins and woke feeling really refreshed.
And for those sceptics, yes I'm generating over 300 watts at times and a lot of the ride I do L4 work and also L5 on the shorter hills.
Monday is my day off always but I shall be in the gym tomorrow doing high end L4 work on the trainer!
TYSON
After a long session, for me 5 hours in the mountains of Japan with climbs of 15% and 17%, at 64 years of age all I need is 3 spoons of protein powder mixed with non-fat milk,water and a banana. Followed by a plate of brown rice with a can of tuna mixed in, and if I'm still hungry - 2 slices of bread and tahini.
Then 10 minutes lying on my back with my feet placed on a wall at a 45 degree angle. Actually this is so relaxing I usually fall asleep. Yesterday after 5 hours in the saddle I fell asleep in this position for 30 mins and woke feeling really refreshed.
And for those sceptics, yes I'm generating over 300 watts at times and a lot of the ride I do L4 work and also L5 on the shorter hills.
Monday is my day off always but I shall be in the gym tomorrow doing high end L4 work on the trainer!
TYSON
I would promote the idea of a hot / cold shower. It is standard practice to aid recovery for cyclists at the Victorian Instuite of Sport (VIS), here in Australia.eli_cheez said:
After your ride, basically have a warm - hot shower for 5 minutes, then turn off the hot tap and have a cold shower for about 30 second. Repeat 3 times. You only need to do the cold shower on the lower body.
As Lim has stated the idea is to flush the blood from the muscles and then back again with the hot; to flush out latic and toxins.
Works wonders for me. Its easy to do so give it a try to see what you think.
[/QUOTE]eli_cheez said:
Really there isn't since those in the medical arena know it goes against sport science and thus is not tested. The biggest thing is to heal in a manner that is comfortable and that promotes blood to the location. We know heat does this.
One of the best recovery tools I have used is a compression garment. Check out www.kompressorz.com. These garments aid the venus return by acting as a peripheral pump. Put them on as soon as possible after a hard race/ride, and even sleep in them.
