Re: Ice Baths - Do they help?



I think most track and XC people ice bath to prevent injuries and
decrease inflammation in shins/knees etc.  As such, it can be useful
on a daily basis.

Also, note that lactic acid is a good thing for performance:http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/16/health/nutrition/16run.html

I agree, I was always under the impression that ice baths were useful
for reducing inflammation (some amount of inflammation in the muscles
is normal after a workout, especially after a long, hard day). I'm
skeptical about claims suggesting they improve circulation; we
normally apply heat to improve circulation and ice to reduce
inflammation (a la ankle sprain, e.g.).

Note that an ice bath is great but it's not a panacea. If I have a
muscle strain, for example, I might opt for a hot bath instead, just
to help keep the muscle relaxed and loose.

Just as an addendum to what Mark said:
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/exercisephysiology/a/aa053101a.htm
I would hesitate to flatly call lactic acid a "good thing." I call it
neither good nor bad; they have an important role in fueling the
muscle, but a build-up of unused lactates will still inhibit
performance.

That's all.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Pachner 2003: Infection ***and*** inflammation
    ... Infection and inflammation in skeletal muscle from nonhuman primates ... genospecies of the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. ... results showed that N40 was more infectious for NHPs than Pbi. ...
    (sci.med.diseases.lyme)
  • Re: EMS pad placement
    ... Chronic inflammation caused by the kneecap tracking off-centre due to ... Don't worry about the weight gain, fix your leg. ... You need the muscle to stop ...
    (uk.rec.bodybuilding)
  • serrapeptase
    ... Does this enzyme have any application in heart disease? ... What I do find is tentative for muscle ... inflammation, similar to an NSAID might be. ...
    (sci.med.cardiology)