Ice Bath Recovery for Jiu-Jitsu

Can an ice bath help the BJJ grapplers after the intensive training or fighting? How can ice baths help the grapplers? This article will clarify the fog around this hot topic.

It's important to heal after a BJJ fight or intense session. BJJ practitioners may experience different sorts of bruises and muscle damage during practice. However, some body parts are more susceptible than others.

All of the wounds can mend speedily by taking an ice bath. The ice bath is an excellent way to ease the onset of muscle discomfort and speed up the recovery process.

The cold water bath is termed an ice bath. The temperature of the ice bath should be 50-59 degrees Fahrenheit (10-15 °C). However, the time an individual can spend in an ice bath depends on the fat percentage in his body, endurance, and his body mass.

Ice baths play an important role in enhancing the performance of individuals. Taking an ice bath can help to relax your muscles, lessen inflammation, control your breathing, improve your mood, and even give you more energy. Regularly taking ice baths may boost your metabolism, enhance your mental well-being, and even offer you an advantage in sports by teaching you how to cope with discomfort while still breathing.

Does an ice bath work for grapplers? How does an ice bath help the BJJ fighters in their recovery? When BJJ fighters take bath in cold water, it cools the core temperature, muscle, and skin. This results in the constriction of blood vessels. When blood vessels contract it ultimately slows down the blood flow and reduces inflammation.

After an intense BJJ training session or fight, an ice bath is highly recommended. Taking an ice bath, particularly after the fight, will assist the recovery process. It can also minimize tiredness by reducing inflammation, activating the central nervous system, and creating controlled breathing. However, after any injury on the mat, BJJ fighters prefer to take ice baths because of the following reasons. The major reasons behind the ice bath are

• Improves sleeping schedules
• Reduces muscle pain
• Lower inflammation
• Improves the recovery process
• Boosts energy level
• Boosts mood

Ice bath works for the speedy recovery of BJJ practitioners. Some benefits of an ice bath are mentioned below.

Cold water stimulates the adipose tissues that are responsible for keeping your body warm by converting the energy into heat. Cold bath practice improves the metabolism of grapplers.

Ice baths can also reduce muscle soreness which increases the recovery process. How can ice baths reduce muscle soreness? Blood vessels are constricted due to cold water and in turn, slow down the blood flow. When less blood reaches damaged tissue it reduces soreness.

The ice bath, as well as the compression from the water pressure, forces blood vessels to contract. This has been proposed as a process that aids in draining out waste materials like lactic acid and lessens fluid buildup in the damaged tissue and resultantly reduces inflammation.

The autonomic nervous system is responsible for controlling emotions. When BJJ fighters take ice baths, it stimulates the autonomic nervous system (sympathetic and parasympathetic) which helps to boost the mood and energy level of BJJ practitioners.

Cold temperature has an effective role in reducing inflammation. It also controls the swelling and pain that can happen after active energy-intensive BJJ sessions or fights. This practice will not only improve the recovery process of BJJ fighters but also keep them fresh.

Are cold baths healthy for you? Although taking ice baths are generally harmless, those with underlying medical conditions may find them risky. However, you must consult your doctor before starting any new practice, such as ice bath treatments. Immersion in cold water may initially cause a normal panic reaction in healthy people. Their body may warn their brain that it is harmful. Besides having plenty of benefits, an ice bath may not be beneficial for some people. Let’s discuss some risks of cold water baths.

• Hypothermia: Cold bath causes “Hypothermia”, the condition in which the core body temperature drops to 95 degrees or below.
• Heart attack: It’s also dangerous for people who have high blood pressure. Because ice baths can further decrease the blood flow in them which causes stroke or cardiac arrest.
• Fainting: People suffering from diabetes are also at high risk of fainting by taking ice baths.
• Frostbite: Taking an ice bath for too long can damage the soft tissues. This will cause frostbite- a disease in which skin or underlying tissue freeze.

The recommended ice bath time is not more than 15 minutes. An ice bath for 10 to 15 minutes is enough for the recovery process.

Studies show that Ice baths can stimulate the production of more dopamine. Dopamine is the hormone or neurotransmitter that is responsible for enhancing the energy level of individuals. So, fighters can take an ice bath before going on the mat. It can help them to boost their mood and energy level.  

Taking ice baths beyond the recommended time can become fatal in severe cases. However, after 20 minutes, you may experience frostbite, a condition that causes numbness and discolored skin.

The practice of ice baths has gained popularity in the sport of mixed martial arts, especially in Jiu-Jitsu among martial art practitioners. Because it can help the BJJ practitioners to recover swiftly after training frequently throughout the day and/or on successive days. As a result, Jiu-Jitsu practitioners have begun to employ ice baths as a means of recuperation after intensive training or fighting. Grapplers take the ice bath for 10 to 15 minutes following a training session or fight at a temperature of 50 to 59 °F for a speedy recovery.