Cold Truth

Recovery is key to ongoing gains in your performance, yet some regular practices, although well intended, may be hindering your progress. Various forms of hydrotherapy, whether it be cold showers or full body immersion in ice baths, may help reduce muscle soreness by stimulating a flush of metabolites from muscles after strenuous exercise. This practice may cool the body faster especially after a workout in the heat. While there may be short term benefits, research has revealed a blunting of anabolic signaling with the application of a cold stimulus post-exercise (Roberts et al. 2015; Yamane, Ohnishi & Matsumoto, 2015). 

A solution would be to wait a couple hours after your workout before cold showering/immersion to avert attenuation of muscular and vascular adaptations to training. Cold exposure shouldn't be implemented in lieu of other well documented recovery strategies, such as stretching, rolling, hydration and timely and nutritious refueling.🤓💦