http://fastrunningblog.com/forum/index.php/topic,260.0.htmlhttp://fastrunningblog.com/forum/index.php/topic,52.0.htmlAnd to quote Sean Sundwall, one of your Olympic Trials qualifiers, "Ice baths are actually good for another reason.
When you get in an ice bath, blood rushes from your legs to the core of your body in an attempt to keep the core of you functioning. IN other words, your body says, "screw your legs, we've got a heart and a brain and lungs to save."
After about 10-15 minutes, you hop out of the ice bath and the body basically says "crap, we may be able to save those legs afterall" and rushes blood in the tiny capillaries in your damaged legs that so desperately need blood flow. It's all about stimulating blood flow so that repair can be accelerated."