Icing: Good or Bad?

Several years ago a team of Japanese researchers put a dozen college-aged men on exercise bicycles for four to six weeks of training. Following each workout, the research subjects stuck one limb in an ice bath at temperatures ranging from 5 degrees C to 10 degrees C (41 degrees F to 50 degrees F). The other limb stayed at room temperature, allowing everyone to serve as his or her own control.

The goal was to find out how much ice baths contributed to building fitness. The results were eye-opening.

For decades, post-workout ice baths have been a rite of passage for high school and college athletes. The theory was that if ice works for sprained ankles, it should also speed recovery from hard workouts, since these too involve tissue damage.