Ice Bath Recovery for Judo

Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy is the method of using hot and cold stints under water (usually in a spa but can also be done in the shower.) Cryotherapy is a very popular use of recovery for athletes all over the world. What usually happens is the athlete hops in a warm spa 30-40 degrees for 10 minuets and then gets out and hops into a small but very deep pool called the plunge or dip pool, this pool is around 10-15 degrees. The athlete must submerge their whole body except for the head.

Studies suggest that within 30 minutes after training you do the following procedure:

- 10 minutes in hot

- 1 minute cold

- 1 minute out of cold (but not in hot)

Repeat 5 times.

Then at night-time you do the following procedure:

- 10 minutes hot

- 1 minute cold

- 1 minute hot

- 1 minute cold

Repeat this 5 times.

The only bad thing about this method is you must finish on cold, which is very uncomfortable because it is quite cold. It is even more important to finish on cold if you suffer from an injury as well as bruises. This is due to the fact that when you get into the hot your blood vessels and capillaries Vaso-dilate (open up) and when you hope into the cold the blood vessels and capillaries Vaso-consrict (close up) resulting in stopping the toxins (blood plasma) from spreading. If your blood vessels and capillaries stay open toxins will spread resulting in a larger bruise.

The theory behind Cryotherapy is it helps remove lactic acid from the muscles due to blood rushing in and out of the muscles which stimulates de-oxygenated blood back to the heart (venus return) resulting in muscle recovery.

If you don't have access to a dip pool you can make one at home by getting in the shower or putting ice cream containers (full of frozen water) into the bath tub.

After doing a really hard training camp or a game where you know you are going to be very sore the next day, it may be a good idea to find a place with a plunge pool and follow the above procedure. If you have never done it before you will be very surprised the next day when you are not as sore as you thought you would be.

Other forms of recovery are stretching, nutrition, sleep, massage as well as cryotherapy.