GAA pours cold water on ice bath treatments

THERE’S no scientific evidence to support the use of ice baths as an aid to recovery, according to a top GAA medical committee.

The Association’s Medical and Scientific Committee has reported on results of a pilot study on injury data, with leading physiotherapist John Murphy stressing: “The point we are trying to make is that if you get injured, you are injured, and some of those things won’t help you to repair the injury,’’ he said.

Agreeing, Dr Jim Gillespie, who is the Sligo team doctor, said that while ice baths might arrest bleeding, he didn’t believe that they aided recovery “or a rapid recovery”.