When it comes to fitness and exercise, maximizing muscle recovery is more important to muscle growth than people realize. While fitness trends change with astonishing frequency, some simple sports have been passed down through generations for centuries, including the sauna and cold water bathing culture that began in Northern Europe. Yes, these exercises may seem a little far-fetched to the outside, but they are extremely beneficial to health and fitness.
If you’re short on time or can’t get to a sauna, is there an extreme temperature that’s more effective for strengthening muscles? The answer to this question is controversial, so we turned to the experts for advice.
However, before considering an ice bath or sauna, it is important to first perform basic preparation, warming up and cooling down, as these actions can help prevent injury and promote growth and development. With this in mind, let’s look at how hot and cold therapy can provide even more fitness benefits.
A bag of frozen peas has many benefits. Not only can cold therapy (or cryotherapy, as it’s officially known) ease a sprained ankle, it’s also a convenient way to relieve both acute pain and minor tears caused by exercise.
“Cold therapy plays a vital role in reducing inflammation and swelling in muscles and joints,” said Sergei Pusov, an Olympic weightlifter and head of sports science at the Torokhti weightlifting team. “Its analgesic effect can provide immediate relief from muscle pain. And because cold therapy constricts blood vessels, it helps remove waste products like lactic acid from the muscles.”
An ice bath is especially effective after aerobic exercise. “An ice bath immediately after exercise can help reduce inflammation and muscle soreness,” says George Thomas of Tennis HQ, “and is especially effective after aerobic exercise for reducing muscle soreness and inflammation.”
Stephen Dick, director of The Fitness Group, adds: “Cold therapy is particularly useful for preventing further tissue damage,” but it has also been shown to improve your well-being, including boosting your mood. Getting the most out of cold therapy is as simple as jumping into a bath or using an ice pack: Putsow recommends immersing your body in water that’s between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius (50 and 59 degrees Fahrenheit). Remember that cold water can cause shock, so if you have heart problems or a respiratory condition like asthma, take it slow and don’t sit on the ice for more than 10 minutes.
“Heat therapy relaxes muscles and improves flexibility. It also increases blood flow by warming and dilating blood vessels,” explains Pustov. “Increased blood flow provides more oxygen and nutrients to the body’s muscles, speeding up recovery. Additionally, heat therapy can help relieve muscle stiffness and tension, making it easier to recover from intense exercise.”
Gregor Parella, a fitness consultant at Ringside24, agrees that heat therapy is an ideal way to recover from strength training. “Heat therapy helps to quickly recover from muscle-building workouts,” he says. “It reduces delayed-onset muscle soreness and promotes glycogen replenishment and protein synthesis.” A half-hour sauna session or a long soak in a hot tub is usually enough to reap the benefits of heat therapy during your next workout.
In fact, it might be a good idea to warm up before you warm up. “Heat therapy is most beneficial before exercise because it warms up the muscles, improves circulation, and prevents injury,” says Thomas. “Heat therapy is especially effective before aerobic and strength training exercises because it helps prepare the muscles, reduces the risk of strains, and keeps them warm and flexible.”
The answer is both, which is often referred to as contrast therapy, so it makes sense to include both methods in your rehabilitation program.
“The old Nordic cycle that most people follow recommends a sauna before an ice bath,” says Martin Sharp, trainer and founder of Sharp Fit For Life. “The reason for this is that saunas increase blood flow and heart rate, relaxing the muscles. Getting into this relaxed state after a workout is beneficial because it starts the recovery cycle.”
“Then you can take a cool shower, either a cold shower or an ice bath. This will restrict blood flow by narrowing the blood vessels, which can lower your heart rate.”
Ultimately, your body is a good indicator of what works best for you. “If you find that you perform better warm after cardio or cold after strength training, adjust your recovery plan accordingly,” advises Parrella. “The key is to listen to your body and choose what makes you feel best and perform best.”
Timing is also important. “Heat therapy is only effective if it’s applied immediately after a workout, as heat is needed to prevent damage to the elastic muscles,” explains Puthoff. Mastering the balance between hot and cold will do you a world of good. As five-time UFC world champion Tyron Woodley, owner of ATT Evolution, sums it up: “After a workout, first heat, then cold. We call it contrast. That’s what’s kept me going for so long.”