Soaking ice is one of the simplest ways to help the recovery process after a long running sessions. Benefits and explanation behind the cold-water immersion is the result of research from the Cochrane Collaboration, a nonprofit organization composed of scientists and physicians who support treatment with scientific evidence. In 2012, the Cochrane Collaboration published the results of the tests taken from 17 studies on cold water bath. Here are some benefits of take a bath using ice:
- Reducing Weary And Maintain Performance
First Ice Bath Benefits we got it from real research. The three researchers: Ian Wilcock, John Cronin, and Wayn Hing at Auckland University of Technology. In 2006, they are doing research that focuses on how to reduce the cold water soak sore muscles and stabilizing performance of a couple of days after intense exercise.
The results showed the benefits lay in the bath itself – instead of the cold temperature of the water. The advantages are:
- Immersing the body in water (any temperature) will expose the body to the pressure gradient as a result of the weight of the water that surrounds the body. The deeper the depth of water in which the body is submerged, the greater the pressure. This phenomenon is similar to the experience of swimming in the pool when we dive deeper into the ear and the pressure increases.
- Standing in water to ‘squeeze’ hydrostatic on foot. During and immediately after intense exercise, fluid from the blood blend into the muscle and the blood itself pooling in the legs of the body (in this case the foot).
- The hydrostatic pressure of the activities of soaking in water will neutralize both of these effects: increasing local pressure on the muscles will push the fluid back into the blood, and the overall water pressure gradient will push blood out of the legs and back to the center of the body (core).
- The increase in exterior pressure also increases the efficiency of the heart so it can carry more blood in each heartbeat. The theory is that when the reaction is the reason why the signs of fatigue and muscle damage can be reduced by soaking in cold water: water pressure helps remove what is not needed by the body and reduces inflammation in muscles.
- The effect of water temperature reduces inflammation and secondary damage.
It is known that soaking in cold water suppresses the ability to blend into the liquid and to the muscle cells, thereby reducing inflammation and secondary damage. This is why doctors recommend an ice pack immediately after an injury, like a sprained ankle.
When an injury like this, damage to the tissues can become more severe due to the swelling and inflammation due to a pool of liquid on the area of injury. It may be swelling like this (although in a much smaller scale) also occur in muscles after intense exercise.
Cold temperatures also dampen nerve impulses, reduce pain, and – for reasons that remain unclear – can reduce the biological markers of muscle damage. It is not certain whether all this is evidence of reduced muscle damage.
- Burn Body Fat
When the ice water touched the body, the body will make the mechanism automatically to generate heat in order to combat the cold. Namely to make your metabolism work faster. That is, the body will burn carbohydrates and fat reserves more quickly to make you feel warm.
- Be More Healthy Hair
When washed in ice bath, it automatically will close the hair cuticle. The closing of the cuticle making the hair does not fall out easily when you wash your hair. The combination of cold water and massage the head will also make the blood circulation in the scalp more smoothly so beneficial nourish the hair.
- Circulatory Fluent
When in contact with cold water, your body will get surprised resulting in a slowing of blood circulation. However, in about the same time, the mechanism of the body will increase the speed of blood circulation, so that blood circulation to work with an extra boost. As a result, blood circulation becomes more smoothly and effectively remove toxins and harmful substances from the body.
- Sparkling Natural Face More
Wash your face using ice is beneficial for pores on the skin. In contrast to when wash your face with warm water, wash your face with cold water also will not release the natural oils that are beneficial to maintain moisture and suppleness. Therefore, they are used to wash your face with cold water will avoid the condition of facial skin wrinkles and dull.
- Make Muscle more Relax
It is very suitable for you who like sports. Shower with cold water can make your muscles more relaxed. Because of physical activity, the muscles become inflamed and you need time to make your muscles become relaxed.
- Cool the Mind
Cold shower will make your mind colder after a hard day in a hot city. It turned out to shower with cold water can help to boost metabolism and regulate levels of uric acid in the body. Surely we can eliminate fatigue after working all day.
- Boost Morale
Cold shower after waking up will give stimulation to the nerves that limp due to rest overnight. As a result, the eyes will be wide open, the mind feels fresh, and you will be more eager to perform the activity.
- Prevent muscle soreness
Soaking in ice water can reduce or even prevent muscle soreness occurs when a person has finished exercising. It is better known as cryotherapy. This has been demonstrated by a team of researchers from the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland. The results of their research finds that the ice bath after exercise can make muscle inflammation with the potential to cause pain, stiffness and swelling after exercise is reduced.
The study involved 366 people as respondents. The study conduct 17 clinical trials, in which the researchers asked the participants to soak in ice water with a temperature of 10 to 15 degrees for varying periods, ranging from 5 to 24 minutes. Then he explained that “we found some evidence that soaking in cold water after exercise can reduce muscle pain.”
- Improve Immune and Streamlining Blood Circulation
Health benefits of ice bath also effective for improve immune systems. Shower with cold water can increase the metabolism rate of the body and eventually can activate the immune system. It will also make the body can remove white blood cells that can kill the virus and make the immune system will increased. Shower with cold water can also increase the circulation of which can make you avoid developing hypertension and hardening of the arteries.
- Increase Men vitality
If using hot water bath will reduce men vitality, water ice actually provides otherwise, the water ice will improve the quality of the vital fluid that men to be better.
When the right time to take the ice bath effectively?
you can do it anytime during the afternoon or early evening. At the recommended time of the morning and afternoon, course that more benefits. There is one more thing to note in an ice water bath that do not directly pour into the head so the body is shocked and does not interfere with breathing, so you can start from the waist and then the shoulders and the last is head.
How long to take an ice bath?
Although many scientific studies support the use of ice baths for recovery, there is a proper protocol that has proved to be better than others. The rules are as follows:
- In general, the water temperature should be between 50 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit, and
- immersion should range from 10 to 20 minutes.
Do not do more than that, because if you do more than that you will have negative effects.
The side effects of ice baths
In addition to providing a number of benefits, the ice bath also carries its own side effects for the body, as follows:
- Potential Hypothermia
One of the most dangerous impacts of ice water bath is resulting in hypothermia. Hypothermia is one of the harmful effects of a cold shower because the body mechanism to overcome the difficulties of cold temperatures. This can happen because humans are warm-blooded creatures and have a constant body temperature. Therefore, if the body is exposed to cold water, the body’s thermoregulatory mechanism centered in the hypothalamus would work harder. Thermoregulation mechanism itself is the human ability to regulate their body temperature to remain constant. Here, of course, makes the nerve cells that control thermoregulation will work harder and certainly not good for the nerves.
In addition, the body’s metabolic system will also work hard to balance the cold water temperatures affected the body. Therefore, said Machin, a newborn is always bathed with warm water because the mechanism of thermoregulation in infants has not been particularly effective and is still very weak.
- Can Cause Nerve Pain and Arthritis
Cold shower can also cause pain in the nerves and joints. The blood vessels will constrict because of a cold temperature. If the narrowing of blood vessels, oxygen intake to the vital organs will also be reduced so that it can cause pain.