Cold dips may have fewer benefits than warm baths, new research suggests

Ice baths after exercise are hot, especially among influencers.

But a new small study suggests that recreational athletes perform better when they soak in a hot tub instead of an ice-cold tub, especially when there are breaks in their workouts, such as during halftime in football and soccer, according to a report published Thursday on the 2024 scholarship was presented. Conference on Integrative Physiology of Exercise in University Park, Pennsylvania.

When you exercise vigorously, muscle fibers are damaged and the hot water can increase blood flow, helping the muscles to repair themselves and become stronger, said the study’s lead author Mamoru Tsuyuki, a master’s student in sports and health sciences at Ritsumeikan University in Shiga . , Japan.

“Also, increasing muscle temperature will help improve power,” Tsuyuki told NBC News in a Zoom call. “If you have to perform twice on the same day, such as sports with a rest period, heat is better. If you can immerse yourself in hot water for the 15 or 20 minutes, you can probably perform better in the second half.”

That doesn’t mean there’s no value in ice-cold baths, Tsuyuki said, adding that other studies have shown that the ice-cold water can relieve muscle pain. Additionally, ice is best if there is an injury.

Tsuyuki said he would like to see more research comparing the pros and cons of both temperature weeks.

“We used endurance running, but the results may be different with other types of exercise,” he added.

Why is a hot week better?

To take a closer look at the impact of hot and icy rainstorms, Tsuyuki and his colleagues brought together ten young men for a three-part study.

The men performed 50 minutes of high-intensity interval running and then dipped into a 59-degree pool for 20 minutes; a 104 degree pool; or sat without immersing themselves in water.

All ten men experienced all three conditions during the study.

An hour after the first training, the research volunteers were asked to jump as high as possible from standing and squatting positions. The height the men reached while jumping was lower after a cold dive than after a warm one.

There was no difference in muscle pain whether the men were in cold or warm water.

“Ice baths are super trendy,” says Aimee Layton, associate professor of applied physiology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. And “if you have an injury with heat and inflammation, the cold feels good. If you sprain an ankle, you want to put ice on it.”

But if you’re not injured and just had a tough workout, cold can be harmful, Layton said. “It constricts blood vessels and can cause muscles to tighten,” she added.

When you exercise vigorously, you get micro-tears in the muscles, Layton said. “It tells your body that you need more muscle in the area to make it stronger next time,” she said. “Warm water can increase circulation and promote the recovery process.”

The temperature issue can be complicated, says Dr. Spencer Stein, an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine who specializes in sports medicine. “I wouldn’t throw away cold baths,” Stein said. “There are studies showing that cold baths can reduce pain.”

Still, my experience with professional teams is that they like hot baths before the game, he said. “When there is peace, they don’t do a cold dip.”

Which water temperature works best for an athlete depends on a number of factors, says David Putrino, director of rehabilitation innovation at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City. Both can affect the blood supply to the muscles.

Hot water improves blood flow, which helps flush out waste products associated with exercise, Putrino said. Cold, on the other hand, can improve blood flow in some athletes by activating the fight-or-flight response.

And that’s where the nuance emerges.

“If an athlete hates being dumped in an ice bath and clenches and starts shivering, you get the opposite effect,” Putrino said. “Someone who really doesn’t mind the cold at all can relax in an ice bath.”

There are people who like to do cold jumps because they feel energetic when they get out of the water, Putrino said. “As soon as they get out, their body is flooded with endorphins, the feel-good chemicals, and they get a huge rush of energy,” he explained.

“My recommendation is to use your own data to understand what works for you,” Putrino said. “Don’t believe what you hear on podcasts.”

For a warm water bath, Putrino suggests the following: