Are Ice baths a good
tactic for Sevens tournaments?
“Win the recovery”
Recovery between matches is critical to success in sevens
due to the multi game nature. Teams have put a large emphasis on tactics to use
between matches in order to accelerate the recovery between games. The standard
protocol for sevens teams on match day between games:
1.
Finish game
2.
Rehydrate, post match nutrition, return to
locker room
3.
Disrobe, remove tape
4.
CWI for 5-10 minutes
5.
Shower and change
6.
Meal
7.
Review film/relax before next match
Teams generally have between two and four hours between
games, making this a sometimes cramped schedule. Cold-water immersion (CWI) or
ice baths are a staple of high level sevens tournaments everywhere. Most teams
use CWI both between matches as well as at the end of the tournament.
However, most teams do not have their own ice tub to use,
even if so there are still up to ten players who have just played in a game
trying to use one tub. The last thing a coach wants are stressed out players between
matches, frantically trying to “win the recovery”. Locker rooms post match are
a crowded scene with up to 40-50 players all vying for time in usually a
limited number of ice tubs, it can sometimes take an exceedingly long time for
players to get their 5-10 minutes. This begs the question of whether ice baths
are worth the trouble and if so when is the best time to use them, between
games or after tournaments?
What does the
research say?
The proposed benefits of CWI include reduced muscle soreness
(2), improved parasympathetic nervous system reactivation (1), and improved aerobic
performance compared to passive recover (4). However, research has also shown a
decrease in subsequent exercise performance when CWI is used close to the
exercise time (3), likely due to reduced muscle temperature. It has also been
shown that CWI has a trivial effect on subsequent exercise performed two hours
after compared to passive recovery and contrast water therapy (3).
Another reported effect of CWI is an increase in perceived
recovery, independent of biochemical and physiological markers. This effect is
likely to do with the increased parasympathetic tone following CWI, however
this has been shown to occur independent of an increase in exercise
performance. These studies also only focused on cycling and swimming
performance, limiting their practical application to sevens rugby. A study in
which the effect of CWI on subsequent exercise performance involving repeated
sprint activity would be highly beneficial to sevens.
So use ice baths or
not?
This question, just as any in sport science, is context
dependent. Ice baths used in between games may at best have a trivial impact on
improved performance, and if done too close to the following game may actually
impair performance (This is more likely in amateur tournaments where time
between games is much shorter). On multiple day tournaments, ice baths used
following the final game on the first day will likely improve recovery and
performance on subsequent days.
Individual response should also be considered when deciding
if and when to use ice baths. If used with enough lead-time before the next game,
ice baths will likely not effect performance so if an athlete “feels” better
after CWI it would be fine for them. On the other hand if taking an ice bath
between games feels like a burden for a player, the trivial at best improvement
in performance would not outweigh the mental burden and hassle.
After the final game on the first day, ice baths should be
compulsory for all players as there is enough evidence to suggest improved
performance and recovery on subsequent days.
References:
1) Al Haddad H, Laursen P, Chollet D, Lemaitre F, Ahmaidi S,
Buchheit M (2010) Effect of cold or thermoneutral water immersion on
post-exercise heart rate recovery and heart rate variability indices. Auto
Neurosci 156(1–2):111–116
2)
Parouty J, Al Haddad H, Quod M, Lepreˆtre PM, Ahmaidi S, Buchheit M (2010)
Effect of cold water immersion on 100-m sprint performance in well-trained
swimmers. Eur J Appl Physiol 109:483–490
3)Stanley J, Buchheit M, Peake JM The effect of post-exercise
hydrotherapy on subsequent exercise performance and heart rate variability. Eur J
Appl Physiol. 112(3):951-61. Epub 2011 Jun 28.
4)Vaile
J, Halson S, Gill N, Dawson B (2008) Effect of hydrotherapy on recovery from
fatigue. Int J Sports Med 29:539–544
