Ice consumption during the summer Olympics has soared to record heights, but many of its applications lack scientific validity, experts say.
Tons of ice are shipped, stored, and used, putting a strain on the environment and costing millions. Ice is commonly used for sports recovery.
An international team of researchers has expressed concerns about ice consumption in a recent opinion piece published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Ice use at Olympics 2024 to increase
Ice packs, compression devices, ice baths, and cold water immersion—collectively known as cryotherapy—are widely used in sports medicine to manage injuries and aid recovery.
Physiotherapists at the Olympic polyclinics prescribed cold water immersion in roughly 10% of cases in Athens and London, but this figure soared to 44% in Rio. Notably, the vast majority (98%) was prescribed for recovery and a minor portion (2%) for injury care.
In 2020, the Tokyo Summer Olympics required a substantial amount of ice: 22 tons for medical facilities at competition venues and an additional 42 tons for athletes in the Olympic Village. However, the actual ice consumption and wastage during the games remain unknown.
The ice requirements for the Paris 2024 Games are expected to substantially exceed those of the Tokyo Olympics.
“The first estimation done by Paris 2024 based on the initial requests presented by the International Federations was 1624 tons of ice, at a cost of €2.5 million. No independent vendors were able to fulfil the public tender. Subsequently, this estimate has been reduced to 650 tons (450 for the Olympics and 200 for the Paralympics),” the editorialists write.
Minimize ice usage at games
On one hand, the pooled data suggests cold water immersion is superior to other recovery methods in terms of muscle power and perceived recovery. On the other, the newer research raises concerns about its potential negative impact on long-term strength gains and subsequent exercise performance.
While ice can temporarily numb pain, its long-term effects are often misunderstood. According to studies, it may actually interfere with muscle repair and strength growth.
The press release highlights: “Apart from logistical challenges related to production, transportation, and storage, ice is often used to obtain benefits that are not evidence-based. More importantly, ice could have the opposite effect to that expected, such as delayed tissue regeneration or impaired recovery.”
The editorialists mentioned that the cold water immersion aids rapid heat exhaustion recovery, soothes post-exercise muscle soreness, and prevents anticipated muscle pain.
However, it’s unsuitable for recovery between intense workouts or for immediate or long-term recovery post-strength training.
“The sport and exercise medicine community needs better data on the actual amount of ice consumed at major sporting events, for what purposes, and at what financial and environmental costs,” they mentioned in the article. “When planning for the provision of ice, organisers should aim to minimise the use of non-evidence-based practices and promote better sustainability.”
They conclude that ice should still be accessible for immediate pain relief, specialized recovery, and treating heat-related emergencies .
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