Ice between games

This works pretty good as a mobile icing method. All you have to do is fill it up with ice from a cooler. I have no association with them a friend of mine pointed me to the site.

http://www.ezicetherapy.com/

Should you ice the arm between the 2 games? Or wait until after the last game?

Not sure if I would ice between games either. Once you Ice down that's usually it for the day. That's what I always thought. Interesting if someone with a medical or sports rehab background would chime in. I would be interested in what is best since my son also pitches on a weekend and follows up playing a position in the 2nd game of a double header.

Interesting thought about not icing in between. We actually usually don't but another parent (not the coach) recommended it.

Coach has recommended running/jogging a lap or two between games. Something about distributing lactic acid.

I don't think I would ice between games if he is playing game 2. I also would not have bim run between games, let him save his energy and legs.

A good jog at the end of the day followed by a cold shower would be perfect IMO. The cold shower part has been recommended to me by an olympic sprint trainer and it really helps. They use ice baths, but a cold shower works in a pinch. He is not going to like it however...

BOF is correct, best not to do any of that stuff until the day is over.
After your son pitches, he could do some light excercises or light stretching, you might want to do some research on that.

Thanks so much! We'll heed your advice

BOF, you suggested not running between games but do you suggest some sort of warm up of the body so there are no pulled muscles? Stretching or light jogs rather than running?

quote:

Coach has recommended running/jogging a lap or two between games. Something about distributing lactic acid.

This right here tells me you should probably run from any sort of exercise physiology advice your coach may give.

That said, I would have to agree. I would not ice in between games. Personally I am not a proponent of ice at all after pitching unless there is pain. Soreness is a 50/50 thing for me. Icing after pitching "just because" I disagree with.

quote:

Originally posted by Rockford Baseball Mom:
Can anyone suggest a good method, wrap, etc., for icing an arm between games of a double header or tournament? 2013 often pitches the first game followed by MIF for the second. We're looking for something that we can keep cold in a cooler during game one.

Thanks in advance!

You should never ice, then play. That is restricting blood flow and trying to keep any swelling down. It is similar to the thought that if you take a shoe off a sprained ankle you are done for the day. If you are going to ice, wait until you are done playing for the day.

quote:

Originally posted by Proud Dad 24:
BOF, you suggested not running between games but do you suggest some sort of warm up of the body so there are no pulled muscles? Stretching or light jogs rather than running?

I agree with realteamcoach regarding icing. There is lot of debate around the lactic acid build up in pitching muscles. Regardless of the reason, getting blood flowing by the end of the day after pitching has shown to be helpful. I would have him get in a nice run when he is DONE playing if he pitched. Ice baths at the Olympic training level have also been proven to help recovery, which is why cold showers are good. Were talking 2 minutes here and most kids will be screaming, but have him try it, you will be (and so will he) be surprised how good he feels afterwards.

Double headers and youth weekend tournaments tend to be physical marathons. On the surface kids don’t look like they are getting worn down, but they are, so don’t break them down any more if you can. Our kids are so resilient we forget about this. Think how you would feel if you played 4-5 games in two days….

A good dynamic warm up should be done prior to every game including some band work. A dynamic warm up is not a 2 mile jog however, nor is static stretching any good. If games are back to back then some easy dynamic stretching is probably all that is needed. Rest and recovery is more important IMO.

A little common sense goes a long ways in these situations, and if your son is looking tired have him sit out a game. Good travel teams have large rosters for a reason and a lot of the “daddy ball” travel teams with 12 kids for a weekend tournament are putting some kids at risk. I am also not a big fan of pitching then MIF… The other way around is preferable. If he is going to pitch, then play get him in a corner OF spot where he is not putting additional wear and tear on his arm. If he is a 2013, the day of position choosing is coming so this is something to think about. BTW my son is a two way Sr and the college programs have all been talking about him playing a corner OF spot, 1st or DH when not pitching. There are not a lot of them in college but the ones I have seen all play corner OF or 1st.

Bulldog 19, I don't understand why you are not a proponent of icing. Medical studies have shown that it clearly helps in the recovery process to ice after pitching. Every team that I have ever played on always had the pitchers ice down after they were done for the day. I would be interested in your philosophy on this.

Actually standballdad ASMI is doing a study on icing after pitching. Up to this point the studies that have been conducted have been inconclusive to one showing a slight benifit for icing after pitching.

Their current recommendations are (for adult athletes) :

Objective: To describe the current controversy about icing baseball pitchers and share recommendations for athletic trainers who work with these athletes.

Background: The benefits of icing after acute injury or surgery are well-established. However, the value of icing baseball pitchers is controversial. Some players, coaches, and medical professionals strongly believe icing is important, while others are not so sure. In the only published research study about icing after pitching, Yanagisawa et al. examined the effects of icing and/or light exercise on the shoulder. They found that icing with light exercise was most beneficial. To gain insight into current practices and perceptions, a survey was sent to the head athletic trainers in Major League Baseball. Twenty of the thirty head athletic trainers responded. Based upon the limited previous research and the results from the survey, the following recommendations were established.

Recommendations: If a pitcher has current or recent shoulder or elbow problems, his affected joint should be iced after pitching. The team athletic trainer should also make icing available to his/her healthy pitchers, and work with each pitcher to determine whether or not to ice. When icing, begin 15 to 20 minutes after the athlete is done pitching. When icing the elbow, leave the ice pack on for 15 minutes. When icing the shoulder, leave the ice pack on for 20 minutes. When icing, consider also using other modalities (i.e. light exercise, electrical stimulation, ultrasound, or some form of massage). These recommendations are based upon the limited information currently available. More research is needed.

To start, lactic acid is not something of concern to me after one pitches. After running a marathon, sure. After pitching-- no. Pitching does not tax the body like running a marathon would. Also, lactic acid is actually a GOOD thing and most people don't understand that. Lactic acid allows your body to continue when you are unable to meet the oxygen needs of the muscle during activity.

I don't have exact numbers (nor would I care for them) as to how much lactic acid is developed while pitching, but I do know some is built up. But here's the thing people don't understand-- lactic acid is developed just walking around. It's a normal function of life.


Now with icing after pitching. Like I said, if there's a reason to ice, then do it. But "just because" is not a suitable reason to me and that is the answer I have gotten when I have asked pitchers. This is from high school and college pitchers as well as professional pitchers. The reason they give this answer-- BECAUSE THERE IS NO REAL REASON most of the time.

Do you ice your legs or arms after lifting weights? Do you do it have running?

Ice is not a cure-all. With that said, I'll suggest ice before I suggest any type of medications for my athletes..