Sport Psychology Tactics - Ice Baths & Athlete Mental Health Benefits
About the Author
Ben Foodman is a licensed psychotherapist & performance specialist. He owns his private practice located in Charlotte North Carolina where he specializes in working with athletes to help them overcome mental blocks (the yips), PTSD, ADD / ADHD and achieve flow states through the techniques of Brainspotting & Neurofeedback. If you are interested in services, use the link here! Enjoy the article below!
Introduction: Athletes, Ice Baths & Sport Psychology
When athletes work with sport psychologists, they are under the impression that in order to improve their mental performance they should only focus on changing their thought patterns. While this can sometimes be helpful, the truth is that an athlete’s mental health is also directly connected to how their body feels. That’s why it is critical that athletes invest time towards implementing advanced recovery tactics into their routine.
One recovery tactic that is starting to become more popular within the health performance space is taking ice baths. For this Training Report I am going to review the science behind ice baths for athletes, how ice baths help with recovery from injuries and improve performance, and why this type of process can help athletes improve their mental performance through body recovery. Let’s start by reviewing some of the science that supports athletes using ice baths.
Part I. Psychological Benefits For Athletes & Ice Baths
When athletes train at high intensities, they can experience natural but adverse side effects such as muscle soreness which is a result of the microscopic tears that occur during training. This is where the benefits of ice baths can help. Ice baths can help with physical recovery by reducing inflammation and pain. Inflammation is a natural response to injury or stress, but it can also slow down the healing process. When immersed in an ice bath, our bodies are able to reduce inflammation by constricting blood vessels and reducing the flow of blood to the injured area, also known as vasoconstriction. This helps to reduce the amount of inflammatory chemicals that are released.
Ice baths also trigger the release of norepinephrine due to the cold exposure activating the body’s sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the body's "fight or flight" response. When the sympathetic nervous system is activated, it releases a number of hormones, but the increase in norepinephrine levels that occurs after an ice bath can have a number of benefits, including:
Improved muscle function: Norepinephrine helps to improve muscle function by increasing blood flow to the muscles, reducing inflammation as well as increased distribution of oxygen and nutrients to areas of the body in need of recovery
Reduced pain: Norepinephrine helps to reduce pain by blocking the transmission of pain signals to the brain.
Improved mood: Norepinephrine helps to improve mood by increasing the production of endorphins, which have mood-boosting effects.
Improved sleep: Norepinephrine helps to improve sleep by increasing the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps to regulate sleep.
Now that we have an introduction into what is happening physiologically during an ice bath, why is this relevant for athlete’s mental health?
Part II. Athletes & Long-term Consequences Of Inflammation
Sport psychologists, neuroscientists and other experts within the field of mental performance are beginning to realize that inflammation is a key biomarker when it comes to athlete mental health. Increased inflammation can be the result of many different catalysts, but there seems to be a connection between excessive physical training and inflammation. Because athletes need to train at a high intensity (both in quantity and quality) of reps, if their body is not recovering then inflammation levels can increase. While inflammation is a natural response to injury, infection, and excessive training, it can also have a negative impact on mental health. Inflammation can cause changes in the brain that can lead to symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions.
The following are examples of how inflammation can affect mental health status for athletes
Damage brain cells: Inflammation can damage brain cells, which can lead to changes in brain function. These changes can lead to symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions.
Increase stress hormones: Inflammation can increase levels of stress hormones, such as cortisol. High levels of stress hormones can contribute to symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions.
Reduce the production of neurotransmitters: Inflammation can reduce the production of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine. These neurotransmitters play a role in mood regulation, and low levels of these neurotransmitters can contribute to symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions.
Part III. Quick Tips For Athletes & Ice Baths
So what can athletes, coaches & sport psychologists take away from this Training Report? When putting together a mental training program for athletes, it’s not enough to exclusively focus on things such as positive self-talk, imagery and goal setting. Athletes need to be consciously aware of the connection between how their body’s ability to recover will directly affect their mental health. This means that athletes need to regularly engage in somatic-based activities such as ice baths. How can athletes go about this? Here are some considerations when designing an ice bath recovery protocol:
It has been recommended that ice baths should be used for no more than 10-15 minutes at a time. They should also be avoided by people with certain health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, or epilepsy (If you are unsure whether or not an ice bath is right for you, consult with your primary care doctor). Athletes can invest in water troughs to use for these cold water immersion sessions. Add ice cubes until the water reaches a temperature of 50-59 degrees Fahrenheit. Submerge your body in the ice bath for 10-15 minutes. After your ice bath, dry off and get dressed in warm clothes. Make sure to start with shorter ice bath sessions and gradually increase the time as your body adjusts. Finally, make sure to drink plenty of fluids before, during, and after the ice bath.
Note To Reader:
If you are an athlete reading this segment of the TRAINING REPORT, hopefully this content was helpful! I put the Training Report together because I felt like many of the discussions on issues such as the Yips/mental blocks, strength training & other subject matter on athlete performance concepts were really missing the mark on these ideas (e.g. how trauma is the direct cause of the Yips). If you are interested in learning more, make sure to subscribe below for when I put out new content on issues related to sport psychology & athlete performance! Also, if you are looking to work with a mental performance specialist, you are in the right place! USE THIS LINK to reach out to me to see if my services are the right fit for your goals!
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