One of the enduring images so of the FA Cup final that the press seemed determined to share with us was the scene in the bath afterwards. Al though we lucky never saw any revealing shots it would seem that the best way to celebrate a win in those days was to play with the cup by taking it part and wear bits of it on your head as if it was a crown and then take a big communal bath together. Now whilst many will tell you in the Bathrooms Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England that a good soak is great. Just pop along to https://bathline-bathrooms.com/ to see some nice examples. However, for the professional athlete it really is isn’t. In fact, the immersion in a single private bath is now recommended and the water needs to be ice cold. What on earth are they doing that for after a big win?
Its all about Muscles. When the footballers had been running around for ninety minutes or so the muscle in their legs had been working extremely hard. So much so that they swell and warm up. Now whist it may seem to be a good idea, and the players certainly feel like that want one, it was found that hamstrings and tendons and calf muscles and knees were really starting to suffer after such an intense work out. This was not helped by the sudden immersion into a warm bath even if it was with your happy team mates. Imagine how depressing it must have been on the losing side, no cup to wear on your head and then the chance that you’ve exacerbated that injury you’ve been carrying all this time.
What is the point then of getting in a bath at all? Well none if it’s a hot one and it doesn’t matter if its Football or Rugby or Basketball or Netball or Golf or Fencing or Volley ball or even Swimming where you’ve spent the last hour or so in a big pool of water a warm bath is right out. The trouble is that the heat will mask any injury or twinge that you do have and then you won’t know if it is a problem and subsequently go out and play on it. Getting into a ice bath; whilst it makes you skin feel like its peeling off, will arrest any twinges and muscle aches. It will kill the pain, but it will also get the muscles, tendons etc. to retract and that is much better than expanding them as that’s what happens when you exercise. You effective tell the body to stop working, like, right now. It one of the reason why Leicester won the Premier league having virtually no injuries.
