Ice Baths. Reduce Muscle Soreness, Speed Up Recovery

Ice baths are no longer found in the secluded corners of high-performance sports facilities or alternative off-shore therapy clinics.

Freeze Tub has worked alongside sports manufacturers and physiotherapists to supply Kiwis with their own portable, specialised, insulated, and durable Ice Baths in NZ, that can be erected in seconds…okay then, set up in 2 mins.

Ice Therapy has become increasingly popular in the world of sports and fitness. The evidence around cold water immersion has proven it’s a great way to reduce muscle soreness and speed up recovery time.

Freeze Tub Ice Baths NZ.

Purchase a Freeze Tub

However, taking an ice bath can be an interesting experience, especially if you have never done it before – and rightly so, who on earth would want to plunge into a pod of water that sits just above freezing?

Well, it turns out, quite a lot of people. So if you’re thinking of taking the ‘freeze tub plunge’, this post is for you.

We’ve compiled a list of things on how to take an ice bath like a pro. From preparing the ice bath to getting in and out, we’ve got you covered.

So, grab a towel, and let’s dive into the world of Ice Baths in Aotearoa.

Ice Baths – The Health Benefits Are Worth The Plunge!

Submerging the body in cold water for a few minutes after an intense training session or physical activity can have numerous benefits – when we say numerous, we mean (a lot).

Study after study of cold water therapy scientific papers prove such a large impact on our health that I think it needs to overtake free school lunches!

Okay, too far I know but there is significant evidence to suggest that cold plunging should be a part of everyone’s weekly health regime if they like alternative methods of staying mentally fit and healthy.

Increase White Blood Cells with Regular Ice Baths

The research has also shown that taking ice baths can have a positive effect on the immune system by increasing the production of white blood cells. White blood cells help fight infection and other diseases.

There will never be a ‘one solution for all approach when it comes to winning at the health and wellness game – but strengthening the body’s ability to fight disease is always something modern medicine is trying to achieve – and with Ice baths, we just might have a partial solution.

Alongside healthy eating, quality supplementation, and exercise (of course)

Reduce Inflammation with Ice Baths

One of the primary advantages of an ice bath is its ability to reduce inflammation in the body, primarily in the muscles.

Muscle inflammation also known as myositis refers to the inflammation and swelling of the muscle tissue and although inflammation is a natural response of the body to injury and at times infection, prolonged or chronic inflammation in muscles can have a negative effect on the body.

How ice baths can help with reducing inflammation is the sudden, extreme cold temperature causes the blood vessels to constrict, you will get less blood flow to those muscles and this then helps to reduce any swelling or inflammation.

I’ve been playing football for most of my life. As I got older, I noticed the time it takes to recover. It’s been a while now and my injuries are getting more and more frequent.

Ice Baths have been immensely helpful in reducing the pain in my lower back, groin, and calf muscles.

Auckland Physiotherapist, ex-All Black Josh Kronfield from Health and Sports understood the benefits of using ice to decrease swelling and said ‘I always jumped into ice baths after a game or an intense training session, it enabled me to reduce swelling and recover faster’.

Help Flush Out Lactic Acid Build Up From Intense Exercise

An ice bath can also decrease lactic acid build-up. Lactic acid is a chemical in the body that accumulates in the muscles during intense exercise.

When the body’s requirement for energy is enhanced, the body resorts to anaerobic metabolism where glucose is broken down to produce energy, and as a result, lactic acid is produced as a byproduct.

It is mostly produced by the muscle cells (and red blood cells) but generally, any tissue in the body can produce lactic acid.

You’ll know the feeling you get when your muscles start to burn, that’s lactic acid flushing into the muscle and delaying recovery time by up to 40%.

The cold temperature of the ice bath helps to flush out any lactic acid build-up, leading to a faster recovery time.

Recover Faster With 3 Ice Baths Per week.

Lastly, an ice bath is an effective way to promote the recovery of the muscles. Because the cold temperature reduces blood flow to the muscles it has been shown to slow down metabolic activity and allows the muscles to rest and recover from any micro-injuries they may have sustained during physical activity.

Depending on the intensity of your exercise and to a degree, the type of exercise we’d recommend 3 Ice baths per week.

We asked several performance sports trainers who have trained top-level athletes and have used ice therapy as a means of recovery. They mentioned at the height of an athlete’s training schedule, they would have daily ice baths after training.

Generally, they would ice muscles, 2-3 times per week off-season.

Conclusion

Ice Baths have been the go-to solution for cold water immersion therapy. Athletes, Trainers, Gyms, and High-Performance Sports Facilities have been encouraging the ongoing use of Freeze Tubs.

Not only do the benefits sit quite well with athletes but we’ve seen a huge influx of Freeze Tubbers who see the benefits for themselves.

Whether you’re a professional athlete or weekend warrior, or simply want to enjoy the health benefits that having consistent ice baths provides, get in touch with the team at Freeze Tub and we’ll ship one out faster than you can get out of an Ice Bath.