Ice Baths Recovery

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The use of ice baths as a form of recovery post-exercise is a controversial issue, as there is evidence which support both negative and positive effects. Athletes submerge themselves in baths containing ice in order to reduce post-exercise muscle soreness and to allow them to get back to training sooner with no ongoing soreness. However, Ice baths can endanger muscle growth as it causes the body to be unable to adapt to the demands of training and also can reduce performance due to temporary reducing muscle power. Ice baths are widely used in amateur and professional sports, therefore the outcome of this question is significant to sportsman everywhere. It is evident that ice baths are well known for their ability to decrease muscle soreness …show more content…

Athletes are able to “perform repeated bouts of exercise at maximal level with less accumulated fatigue” , when they submerge themselves in an ice bath post-exercise. They are able to “recover quicker and return to training sooner” , as the ice reduces the initial stages of injury. Athletes can continue to work at a higher intensity for multiple days at a time, as they are able to prevent muscle soreness. This is an advantage for elite athletes, as they decrease the number of days off due to injury, which enables them to train more frequently. Elite tennis players thrive on ice baths in order to recover and keep performing at maximal level during Grand Slams. Tennis is a demanding sport and players only get approximately 48h in-between each match during a Slam. Players such as Andy Murray submerge themselves in ice to be able to recover and reduce inflammation, allowing them to continue to perform at their best throughout the tournament . Other physical demanding sports such as AFL, also heavily rely on ice baths to allow players to get back to training sooner. North Melbourne player, Drew Petrie, includes ice baths in his recovery routine, describing them as an “unpleasant experience” , but worthwhile in reducing muscle soreness . Many elite level sports incorporate ice baths into their recovery regime, allowing

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