<P> After exercise, there is some evidence that taking an ice bath may reduce delayed onset muscle soreness, but no good evidence of any other benefit . </P> <P> There is agreement in the medical and scientific communities that ice baths can pose serious risks to health . Risks include hypothermia, shock and the possibility of sudden cardiac death . </P> <P> Marathon runner Paula Radcliffe won the championship in Europe and attributed her victory to its use . She reportedly said "It's absolute agony, and I dread it, but it allows my body to recover so much more quickly ." She reported taking ice baths before racing and preferred her pre-race bath temperature to be "very cold ." After the Radcliffe comment, the technique has grown in popularity . It is gaining in popularity among athletes, such that some athletes "swear by it" but other accounts suggest it may be a fad . </P> <P> It has been used by athletes such as A.J. Soares and Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps as well as other celebrity endorsers and is getting to become "common practice" among athletes from different sports, including American football, association football (soccer), long distance running, rugby, tennis, volleyball, and other sports . There was a report that sports equipment manufacturers are considering different designs for ice baths . In the summer of 2014, as a fundraising method, the nonprofit ALS Association, which raises money for research and public awareness of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, began the Ice Bucket Challenge which involved donors filming themselves and challenging other donors to participate and then being doused with a bucket of ice cold water; as a fundraising effort, it raised $16 million over a 22 - day period . </P>

How often should an athlete take an ice bath