Squash players often immerse themselves in cold water after training or matches as an act of self-hormesis and to increase physical and mental resilience.
As it’s essential that a proper plunge be undertaken to prevent injuries or frostbite, having someone nearby is strongly encouraged for additional safety reasons.
1. Decreases Muscle Soreness
Ice baths cause vasoconstriction, where blood vessels narrow to keep blood and oxygen flowing to your muscles. This helps with recovery as lactic acid and waste products leave your muscles, while it may reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), an unpleasant aftereffect of intense workouts.
Recent research indicates that ice baths may help relieve post-exercise soreness when taken soon after exercise, especially if done immediately following your workout. Unfortunately, results from studies using this approach vary due to factors like water temperatures or type of exercise; durations; sample sizes etc. Many such studies rely on self-reports by participants themselves and thus make conclusions difficult.
Home ice baths can be easily created at home by filling a tub halfway with cold water and adding enough ice cubes to bring down its temperature to between 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit (13-14 degrees Celsius). Add additional cubes from time to time as necessary and ensure your bath remains at just the right coldness level. Always ensure you wash your hands with soap and warm water prior to entering your tub!
Once inside an ice bath, attempt to stay at least 10 minutes. While this may initially prove challenging, with some individuals needing time to adjust, eventually reaching that target amount over time. You must consider your body and muscle usage and tolerance of cold temperatures when making this determination; cross-country runners might feel effects more quickly than professional American football linemen when immersed in an ice bath.
Safely enjoying an ice bath requires having someone watch your back and prevent falls, along with having access to a chair/step stool to assist with getting in and out, plus non-slip mat for extra safety. If you suffer from heart conditions, consult with a physician prior to trying an ice bath, listening to what your body tells you (if dizzy or numb feeling develop, get out! ), as well as listening for signs that it may be time for another activity).
2. Decreases Blood Pressure
An ice bath can help lower both your blood pressure and heart rate after exercise. Simply fill a large container with water and add some ice. Metal containers cool food faster than plastic, while adding crushed ice can speed up cooling time even further. Be sure to add more ice frequently in order to prevent bacteria growth!
Cold immersion causes your body to release stress hormones such as cortisol. Cortisol causes muscles to feel tight and swollen; by icing regularly during immersion sessions, we can reduce how much cortisol is released, thus aiding muscle recovery.
Cold immersion can provide temporary pain relief by narrowing and dilaterating blood vessels, helping with swelling associated with inflammation. People suffering from conditions like fibromyalgia or other chronic inflammatory conditions often find solace by applying an ice pack to sore muscles.
Some individuals who take ice baths report feeling more alert after working out, though this claim has yet to be scientifically established. Others use cold plunges as a form of mental relaxation: Kristina Centenari’s fitness coach describes it as having the power to “jolt your brain back into focus.”
While there is no one-size-fits-all ice bath recipe, experts advise beginning with a lower temperature and gradually increasing duration over time. Beginners can also try submerging their faces for 1-5 minutes at a time or simply splashing. Some athletes, including Simon Parke and Paula Radcliffe have taken to regular dipping themselves in cold lakes or rivers after hard squash matches in order to aid with recovery.
Cold therapy may assist in recovery from physical exertion; however, it should never take the place of proper training and nutrition. Before embarking on any cold therapy regime, please consult with a healthcare provider, especially if this is your first time exercising or you have medical conditions such as hypothermia or frostbite; long exposure to cold temperatures could even result in hypothermia or frostbite; furthermore prolonged cold exposure is not advised for those suffering from Raynaud’s Syndrome/circulatory problems as well as those who have open wounds/surgeries etc.
3. Decreases Pain
Ice baths have long been known to reduce muscle soreness & inflammation after exercise, thanks to cold water constricting blood vessels and helping with swelling. People suffering from chronic conditions like arthritis may also find relief through taking an ice bath; according to one study published in Biology journal this may be related to vagus nerve which regulates our response to stress.
Ice baths not only reduce inflammation and relieve soreness, but they can also help relieve depression and boost your mood. Researchers believe the cold shock shocks the brain into feeling more active, alert, proud and inspired than depressed and anxious.
Cold immersion has long been used by ancient Egyptians and Greeks. More recently, athletes have taken to using cold immersion as part of their fitness regimen – often recommended as an effective way to enhance performance during intense physical activities like marathon races and full body workouts – as a form of recovery from such activities as an endurance race or full body workout. Hormesis refers to how your body adapts positively in response to stressors such as cold immersion.
Not surprisingly, ice baths can be dangerous for individuals with cardiovascular or blood pressure problems or high blood pressure. The sudden change in core temperature due to immersing yourself in cold water may cause heart palpitations, hypothermia or frostbite over prolonged exposure; additionally they should not be undertaken during pregnancy nor by those suffering from circulation problems like Raynaud’s disease or peripheral vascular diseases.
Newcomers to ice immersion should start out at a relatively warm temperature and gradually decrease as they adjust. Experts advise spending at least several minutes immersed at temperatures between 43-40 degrees Fahrenheit.
As for safety purposes, taking a cold plunge should always be done while fully clothed and with someone nearby for support in case any reactions develop such as uncontrollable shivering or other negative responses. Furthermore, after each cold dive it’s important to gradually return back into warm water – rather than going straight back in.
4. Decreases Stress
An ice bath’s cold shock causes the brain to produce norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter and hormone that improves attention, concentration, anxiety and stress levels, while decreasing feelings of anxiety. Regular exposure to cold water has been shown to enhance body’s resilience against stress by stimulating vagus nerve which reduces fight-or-flight response in our bodies.
Recent research by researchers revealed that athletes who regularly performed cold showers and ice baths experienced lower cortisol (the hormone associated with stress) levels than those who didn’t take these steps. Furthermore, repeated cold immersion has been found to significantly reduce cortisol and other stress hormones in humans.
An ice bath is an effective way to reduce stress during a long race by relieving muscle tension and associated pain. To maximize its benefits, immersing oneself for short durations in cold water (ideally 1-5 minutes is optimal) should provide maximum benefits; newcomers should begin slowly building up duration over time – however initial discomfort can often be quite intense, so newcomers should keep eyes closed during immersions with deep breathing while keeping eyes closed during immersions as this should help ease discomfort with practice and by setting a timer; people will find they can tolerate cold dunkings for much longer than initially anticipated!
Squash has also been shown to help increase mental resilience, as it boosts norepinephrine production – an anti-stress hormone – by stimulating its release, as well as activating genes related to stress regulation, increasing serotonin levels, and decreasing production of pro-inflammatory cytokines which cause headaches.
No matter if you are an athlete training for a marathon or simply looking to reduce symptoms associated with chronic illness, squash and ice baths are an easy and accessible solution. People who regularly perform these immersions report feeling stronger both mentally and physically; many elite athletes use them in their training regimens.