Prevention<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n You already know the purported benefits of ice baths<\/a>. Studies have shown that they\u2019re one of the most effective ways to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness<\/a>, perceived fatigue, muscle damage, and inflammation<\/a> after physical exercise compared to active recovery, massage<\/a>, and compression<\/a> garments, according to a 2018 meta-analysis<\/a> of 99 studies looked at the effectiveness of recovery methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But let\u2019s be real: It\u2019s a total chore to fill your tub up with bags of ice\u2014even if there\u2019s nowhere else you\u2019d rather sit after an especially sweaty, humid summer workout. What\u2019s the next best thing? An ice cold shower seems obvious, but are there any benefits of cold showers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n While it\u2019s not quite<\/em> the same as immersing yourself in icy water (and you won\u2019t get the same intended effect), even a few minutes under that cold water can affect how you perform and recover. Here\u2019s the deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First thing\u2019s first: A cold shower pre-<\/em>workout<\/em> could do wonders for you, especially when you\u2019re, for example, running in the heat. \u201cYou feel better, but your body temperature would also be a little bit lower to start the run,\u201d which affects how high it might rise during the run, says Doug Casa, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of The Korey Stringer Institute, which provides research on exertional heat stroke prevention. \u201cThere\u2019s no question that your performance could be better, and that you\u2019ll be safer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n But you\u2019re more likely to crave that cold water post-workout<\/em>, when it can provide relief for soreness and inflammation and give almost every system in your body a boost, a recent review of the science in The North American Journal of Medical Sciences<\/a><\/em> found. \u201cJumping in a cold shower immediately after exercise is a great idea, because the faster you get your body temperature down after activity, the better you\u2019re going to recover,\u201d Casa says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s because when you exercise in the heat, your blood is being shared by the skin, the muscles, and the heart: \u201cthe heart to maintain your cardiac output, your muscles so you can do the darn exercise, and your skin so that you can cool yourself,\u201d explains Casa. \u201cWhen you take out one of those factors by using water to cool your skin, your body can send blood back to important areas like your stomach and your intestines, so you can handle hydration and nutrients better. Then your fatigue will be less later on in the day or the next day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That exposure to cold water also causes vasoconstriction, which is when your blood vessels become more narrow and, along with the heart, need to work harder to continue moving blood flow, says Aaron Drogoszewski, co-owner of ReCOVER<\/a> studio in New York City and a NASM-certified personal trainer. \u201cThis increased demand strengthens the heart and blood vessels, translating to improved circulation longer term,\u201d he explains. \u201cImproved circulation benefits overall health, performance, and recovery by helping to deliver key nutrients and energy to muscles and organs while simultaneously removing exercise-related metabolic waste products such as lactic acid more efficiently.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n What doesn\u2019t kill you makes you stronger, right? Well, there\u2019s actually a scientific name for that: hormesis, which is basically a biological phenomenon whereby a positive effect results from exposure to low doses of something that is otherwise negative at higher doses. \u201cLow-dose controlled stressors such as oxygen restriction, intermittent fasting, and cold water exposure are all utilized to stimulate the hormetic response,\u201d says Drogoszewski. \u201cHormones and neurotransmitters kick into high gear during these exposures, leading to an increase in physiological and mental resilience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taking a cold shower for up to five minutes, two to three times per week, has also been shown to help relieve symptoms of depression<\/a>, according to research<\/a> published in the journal Medical Hypotheses<\/em>. \u201cThat cold water exposure helps to decrease cortisol levels and increase the levels of the feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin,\u201d says Drogoszewski. Even better: The adrenaline rush you get from immersing yourself in cold water creates a rush of norepinephrine, he adds, which helps to increase energy, focus, and performance outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Any time you can force yourself to withstand a physically uncomfortable situation (one that doesn\u2019t threaten your safety, obviously), it forces you to toughen up. \u201cIf you can suck it up and stand in a cold shower, it makes you think, what other uncomfortable situations can you push through?\u201d says Drogoszewski. \u201cThose last reps in your strength workout? The final kick of a marathon<\/a>?\u201d Developing your mental strength<\/a> is just as important as building physical strength, and this could be one of the easiest ways to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Everyone\u2019s definition of what\u2019s cold is different\u2014especially when you\u2019re all fired up after a hard workout. \u201cIf your body temperature is 103\u00b0 or 105\u00b0 after a summer run, standing in 34\u00b0 water is going to be a horrible experience,\u201d says Casa. \u201cSixty degrees, though, is still really cold\u2014but might feel refreshing.\u201d So there\u2019s no right answer as to how cold exactly<\/em> your shower should be. \u201cGenerally, the colder the water the better, and the longer you can stand it the better,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The best practice is to start slow and build up to longer exposures, says Drogoszewski. \u201cThe goal is to engage in the practice long-term, so if it\u2019s absolutely miserable, the likelihood of sticking with it is pretty slim. I now do five to 10 minutes straight every morning, but I started with 30 seconds of cold at the end of my shower then built up from there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n What you don\u2019t want to do is turn the faucet so far to the cold side that you end up shivering\u2014and using more energy\u2014under the spray. \u201cI would not want to induce a shivering response in someone after they just exercised in the heat,\u201d says Casa. \u201cYou have enough stress your body\u2019s dealing with already.\u201d And in the dog days of summer? A nice, cold shower might be the actual<\/em> cooldown your workout needs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" You already know the purported benefits of ice baths. Prevention Ashley Mateo You already know the purported benefits of ice baths. Studies have shown that they\u2019re one of the most effective ways to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness, perceived fatigue, muscle damage, and inflammation after physical exercise compared to active recovery, massage, and compression garments,<\/p>\n
\n\n\n\nWhat a Cold Shower Does to Your Body<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nWhat a Cold Shower Does to Your Brain<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nSo How Cold Does It Really Need to Be? <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n