Should I Take Cold Showers?

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

I have been reading a lot into post workout cold showers, many people reccomend it to help prevent injuries, I also noticed many sports pro’s go as far as taking ice baths after training.

So it must be a good thing right?

2

[quote]electric_eales wrote:
I have been reading a lot into post workout cold showers, many people reccomend it to help prevent injuries, I also noticed many sports pro’s go as far as taking ice baths after training.

So it must be a good thing right?
[/quote]

Think “inflammation”. To my knowledge, that is what those ice baths are mainly used for. Athletes are under much stress physically.

3

I know a lot of people advocate the interval showers, switching up the temperature ranging from cool to hot every so often.

4

The Arsenal football team in UK have ice baths as a matter of course, not just for injuries, which I personally beleive is a bit over the top, but then again this is one of the best teams in the world, so they must be on to something

5

Just a warning when turning the hot water to cold in your shower: your lungs gasp for air, your heart skips a few beats, and your boys get scared. Other than these things, the alternating cold/hot showers are relaxing.

6

ice baths help with muscle soreness too, not just injuries.

7

you should take cold showers if you are constantly horny

8

[quote]bikemike wrote:
Just a warning when turning the hot water to cold in your shower: your lungs gasp for air, your heart skips a few beats, and your boys get scared.[/quote]

Thanks for the insight, Mike. Who would’ve thunk it!?

9

[quote]bikemike wrote:
Just a warning when turning the hot water to cold in your shower: your lungs gasp for air, your heart skips a few beats, and your boys get scared. Other than these things, the alternating cold/hot showers are relaxing.[/quote]

And I yelp like a puppy too! (but as quiet as possible)

11

I’ve just read an e-book on the subject. They are of good use but only if you have the basics of recovery covered first: nutrition, sleep, cooldown, stretching, periodization.

Once you have those down you can focus on the fancier stuff.

The main theory is that the coldness tightens the blood vessels, forcing waste products out of the muscle. The subsequent return to normal temperature/ warm part of a contrast shower lets new blood rush in, replacing the waste (lactate etc) more quickly than it otherwise would be.

Other strategies at the same sort of level include massage and compression garments. Then there is stuff like electrode analysis, blood analysis and cryotherapy/ cryochambers for the truly elite.