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 Current Studies 

Medical service of the French Olympic team The French Olympic team medical service is currently testing the optimum protocols for cold water emersion after training and competition using the Cryo Control unit. This is set at 12 ° and is installed at its training facilities. Explanations of doctors Eric Jousselin, Philippe Le Van, and Christophe Cozzolino, the physiotherapist who tested this solution with the swimmers: “It is a recovery device. For a long time, warmth was privileged, and now, it is the opposite. The Americans launched this formula. We remembered that they asked for big garbage bins full of ice during the Athletics World Championship in 2003. We have now made this cool water immersion available to all. At the moment, the medical team are testing the protocol of six minutes in 12 °. Legs are plunged, just after the competition which can prevent the occurrence of the small oedema usually formed after training and competition. The medical team are looking at other protocols including contrast bathing.
 
Benefits

Cold water immersion (between 10 to 15 °C) after an intense effort is a practice commonly used by numerous high-level athletes. It is used as a means of fast recovery, and articular and muscular pain reductions after intense sessions of trainings or competitions. From the swimming elite to almost all professional rugby players, the ice bath is a common practice. In addition to the cold water bath, some athletes use hot baths’ for contrast therapy (alternation between cold water and warm water). What is hidden behind the cold water bath? The scientific theory The use of cold water baths of is connected to the fact that the intense exercise causes micro traumatism in the muscular fibres. The cold water baths stimulate the activity of healthy cells of muscles, help to repair the muscular damages and also help to delay the appearance of muscular pains which occur between 24 and 72 hours after the exercises. The ice bath can be used to: - Eliminate muscular waste due the effort, like the lactic acid, outside tissues affected by vasoconstriction of blood vessels, - To decrease the metabolic activity and slow down the physiological processes - Reduce the muscular oedema, - Produce an analgesic treatment
 
Scientific Studies


A study of the July, 2008 edition of the “international newspaper of the sporting medicine " found that the immersion in cold water and the contrast bath therapy help in the recovery from short maximal efforts, either during competitions or trainings where the athletes repeat high intensity efforts for several days or several times a day. In this study, the researchers used racing cyclists as subjects. In 2007, a study of the English Newspaper “Strength and Conditioning Research " examined the effect of the contrasted baths of water on the appearance of the muscular pains , after intense sessions of vertical press on legs. They found a smaller reduction, and a faster restoration of the strength and the power for the athletes who used contrasted bath of water than those using the passive recovery. (Also see download page for further scientific studies)
 
Recommendations

It is clear that more research is necessary before real conclusions can be made, but until now, the information we have indicate the following elements: - Immersion in cold water after a hard training session can aid recovery - Alternation of cold water and warm water can also help the athletes to recover - Ice Baths are not necessary; cold water baths (12 °C) are also good and maybe better than ice baths.
 
Protocols


Cold water Immersion If you want to try the cold water immersion after exercises time in the water should be of a minimum of six minutes immersion in a bath between 12 and 15 °C should to maximise benefits. Therapy of contrasted baths (Hot/Cold Bath) If you prefer contrast baths alternating between hot and cold, the most common method includes: One minute in a cold bath (10-15 °C) and two minutes a warm bath (approximately 37-40°C), repeated approximately 3 times. Although more scientific studies are needed to accurately measure the appropriate protocol for optimum recovery the cold water bath theory is supported by numerous athletes at the elite level. Cold water bath helps them to recover faster, prevention of injuries and also to feel better