For over a year, the Club has successfully run ice bath cycles alternating between Thursday morning and Friday lunch hour (once per week). From the beginning, members showed great excitement for being part of this activity, and now they’ve made it a regular part of their weekly recovery process.

We wanted this opportunity to review the benefits of regular ice baths, especially for those members who may be hesitant about them. Ice baths are a type of cold water therapy known as cold-water immersion (CWI). Taking an ice bath lowers your body temperature and triggers more blood flow to your core. After an ice bath, your body temperature rises, and blood flow returns to your tissues. Some science-based benefits of this form of therapy include:

Stress relief

A 2023 study examined ice baths impact on the brain and found that participants felt more active, alert, attentive, proud, and inspired and less distressed and nervous after immersing themselves in cold water between 15 and 8 degrees for five to ten minutes. Cold stimulation has also been found to activate the vagus nerve, which helps regulate the nervous system in times of stress, so there’s reason to believe ice baths could have a similar effect.

Decreased muscle soreness

Cold exposure constricts blood vessels and reduces blood flow—this helps to decrease inflammation in the body. By modulating the inflammatory response, your body is able to recover a lot better after athletic endeavours.

Research has explored this and confirmed that, at least in some cases, CWI may prevent injuries and help athletes recover when it’s carried out shortly after a bout of exercise.

Anti-inflammatory

CWI can be likened to icing a swollen injury, just on a larger scale. So, it comes as no surprise that it has been found to have anti-inflammatory effects, reducing body swelling and pain.

Improves mental health

Ice baths may be good for your mental health, too. A small study found that taking a 20-minute ice bath daily improved quality of life in people with gout. The study’s participants had better joint mobility and less stress, anxiety, and depression after 4 weeks. Scientists think that exposing your body to cold water triggers a stress response and activates the nervous system. These changes can improve your mood and help you adapt to stress over time.

Don’t forget to book for your next ice bath with us at the Athletic Department, or if you have any enquiries send us an email at athletic@tattersallsclub.org