5 Reasons Why Cold Showers Can Help All Athletes

Exercising is essential to feel good both physically and mentally. These benefits can be boosted with a simple act that is done after any physical activity: taking a shower.

Here’s what you need to know if you take a cold shower after a workout to improve your recovery.

There is a lot of debate about whether it is better to shower with cold or warm water after the exercise. Sometimes it is even suggested that it is better to take a shower that combines hot and cold water.

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Ending a hot shower with a sudden splash of cold water is a practice that has been spreading, as it is said to help strengthen the immune system. Cold water therapy is not new, and some studies claim that cold showers have more positive effects.

Specifically for any athlete, cold water therapy or cryotherapy (treatment involving the application of sub-zero or near-zero temperatures to abnormal tissue) has been corroborated in peer-reviewed studies as a way to facilitate recovery after very challenging workouts. Thus, it’s easy to think that a cold shower after training could have some of those effects, especially considering that this recovery method is simple and inexpensive.

Cold water can help the body adapt to training and regain the ability to perform at a highest level. Cooling down is believed to reduce muscle soreness, damage, swelling and inflammation. After training, the body needs time to cool down, specifically to return to a normal heart rate and body temperature.

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Many people choose cold water to shower after a workout because it has many benefits for the body. In fact, it is the option most commonly used by professional athletes. Among the advantages of cold showers after physical exercise are:

Cold Showers: better muscle recovery:

Cold showers reduce the chances of getting muscle soreness because it reduces the stiffness associated with this discomfort. in the case that muscle fibers have been broken due to intense exercise. Cold, in general, is an excellent anti-inflammatory, it facilitates physical recovery more quickly.

In fact, it is common to apply ice to the area after a minor injury to prevent swelling. The same applies to cold showers, which can be a good relief for any injury that involves an inflammatory process.

An extra benefit of taking a cold shower after practicing sports is that with a shower of this kind we will not only achieve a refreshing sensation, but we will also be favoring good muscle recovery, reducing possible subsequent discomfort caused by fibrillar micro-breaks.

Cold Showers: tone the body:

Because it does not contribute to stretch the muscles and skin as happens with hot water, which favors flaccidity. Upon contact with cool water, the nervous system is quickly activated, sending the brain the signal that warns of a thermal contrast between body temperature and water temperature.

As a result, mind and body react to the cold by trying to minimize this contrast, which results in an almost immediate revitalization of the whole organism.

Cold Showers: contract blood vessels

Which reduces inflammations in muscles, tendons or joints that may appear when the exercise has been particularly intense. Cold showers are excellent allies when it comes to improving blood circulation, because they cause a gentle contraction of the blood vessels causing blood to flow properly and can carry more oxygen and nutrients to every cell of the body.

The effect of cold water is especially beneficial to improve the return circulation, the one that carries blood back to the heart, thus helping to prevent and avoid the appearance of spider veins

Cold Showers: great for the immune system

Although this is a benefit still under study, it is believed that the generalized activation of the body that occurs when showering with cold water could also affect the immune system, making it remain alert to any external aggression, not only to the thermal contrast, but also to the action of viruses, bacteria or other microorganisms.

Cold Showers: relieve tired legs

As we have indicated, cold showers improve blood circulation, being especially beneficial in the case of suffering from heavy or tired legs. A massage applying the cool water in an upward direction, from the ankles to the knees, activates the venous function helping to improve the return circulation and providing a great relief.

Finally, the benefits of showering with cold water also extend to the lymphatic system and its proper functioning, which is largely responsible for the proper elimination of excess fluids, toxins and fats from the body.

Should I always take a cold shower after a workout?

After exercising it is always good to take a shower, even if it is only to wash off the sweat and feel better. This is the option chosen by professional athletes after their training and participation in competitions or sporting events because it helps them to recover.

When to take a cold shower after training?

Before making the decision to take a cold shower after physical exercise, it is important to take into account the intensity of the exercise performed and the state of one’s body. Professional athletes practice sports with a lot of intensity, either during normal training routines or in competition events. Therefore, if you exercise intensely, it is advisable to take a cold shower.

How long should you wait to take a shower after exercising?

Despite the benefits of showering with cold water, a series of tips should be followed so that no damage is done to the body and that this time in the shower is really beneficial. The main advice is to wait to take a shower after exercising. A time that is about 20 minutes and that can be used, for example, to do some good stretching, which will also help you feel better.

The reason for this break lies in the fact that the body reaches a temperature during physical exercise that can exceed 39ºC. Thus, when entering the cold water, a decompensation can occur.

This has a series of negative consequences for the athlete’s health:

– Problems in the circulatory system: as well as changes in blood pressure due to the reaction of the blood vessels as a consequence of the temperature contrast.

– Peripheral facial paralysis: this is another possible risk associated with a cold shower immediately after exercise. It occurs because the nerve dilates with the increase in body temperature after exercise.

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With these explanations and tips we hope to have answered your question about whether it is good to take a cold shower after exercise. When in doubt, it is important that you consult with doctors or physiotherapists about the usefulness of using hot or cold water after your physical activity session.

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