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The 2020 MTV Video Music Awards will be held outdoors this year with limited or no audience [3] due to the global pandemic [4] — but the stars are still preparing like it's any other award show, and we can't wait to see them deliver. Take Lady Gaga [5], for instance, who will be performing "Rain on Me [6]" with Ariana Grande [7] and racked up nine nominations [8] ahead of the Aug. 30 ceremony; she's recovering from rehearsals with a freezing-cold ice bath favoured by athletes [9].
Gaga is known for her ice baths — she shared her post-show routine last October [10] — and said that, aside form soaking in hot water and recovering in a full-body compression suit with icepacks, she submerges herself in a tub of ice water for five to 10 minutes. It's no wonder she likes to do this form of recovery! Her performances can be physically demanding [11], and we know that cold-water immersion may help with inflammation and muscle aches [12].
We wish Gaga the best of luck this weekend (and a warm, cosy bed to sleep in after her ice baths!).