Cold showers

[fireman]

I have been taking cold showers theese last days. I really feel better, more energy and less muscle soreness.

I have probed warm showers, contrast showers... and i think that cold showers is the better option.

What do you think about?

[kombatmaster7]

I have taken cold (cold as can be) showers every morning for a month and I like it. It really helps with the recovery.

I have experimented with the contrast thing but it seems to me that the hot water is just a break for those who cant handle the cold.

However, I have never done a contrast shower consistently for no more than 3 days so I wouldnt really know the effects of one.

[Seiji]

I've heard contrast showers are a waste of time. I don't do them because I don't like cold water OR hot water

[Joshua Naterman]

They have separate purposes. Cold showers are best right after a workout because they reduce unnecessary inflammation. Cold baths are even better for those who will take them... 15 minutes of direct immersion in cold water reduces protein breakdown by something crazy like 90% according to research quoted in Thomas Kurtz's book Science of SPorts Training. Track and field athletes use this to allow them to practice intensely much more often than would be possible without it.

Contrast showers flush waste products, and may be counter productive immediately after a workout since the waste products produced during exercise seem to have some role in triggering the body's adaptation to the exercise stimulus/li. Hours later they can really help diminish or eliminate DOMS, and certain cycles, like cold hot cold, or cold hot, are used to cause a temporary super-compensation effect that allows a higher level of performance, and should be used in preparation for either competition or important workouts. To achieve these effects both temperature and timing have to be right, but they do seem to work!

I personally used contrast showers when I was at BUD/S and I was one of the few who were not painfully sore the whole time. All of us who felt the best used the contrast showers. THey were recommended to me during my scruff duty in Little Creek with SEAL Det 4. They are an uncomfortable experience at first, but they work. Why? The cold water contracts all the surface blood vessels, in the outer 1/4 to 1/2 inch of tissue, and the heat expands them. Because blood only moves in one direction inside a given blood vessel, this essentially creates a "pumping" effect, in which blood is literally forced through all the small capillaries and in turn through all the tissues they are embedded in. This forcefully flushes waste products that could take days to be cleared otherwise.

The spas in Japan have similar setups, called Onsen. There is a 50-60 degree water pool, a 105-110 degree water pool, and a 130-140 degree pool. You start with the warm, sit there for a few minutes, then go to the hot. Stay there for one or two minutes, go to the cold. Stay there for a few minutes, and repeat. People who do this for the first time often feel nauseous afterwards, similar to how people sometimes feel after a deep tissue massage. This is because of toxins being forced out of the tissues. They recommend you only do the cycle once for your first few visits. I was ignorant of this, and felt somewhat sick after the first time, but afterwards I was fine. The hot/cold does work if you do it right.

[Richard Duelley]

Nice post Slizzardman. Hmmm, I think I am going to try out cold showers right after I get back from the gym and then contrast shower in the morning. I did a cold shower on Friday right after the gym and I felt great afterward! If I remember this thread I will comment back at the end of the week . . . I have 2 weeks of school left this semester and things are getting more and more nuts every day, so I will do my best to remember to contrast in the morning and cold right after the gym . . . even though it snowed 5 inches yesterday! I guess I could just lie in the snow for a while

[jl5555]

They have separate purposes......The spas in Japan have similar setups, called Onsen.....I was ignorant of this, and felt somewhat sick after the first time, but afterwards I was fine. The hot/cold does work if you do it right.

Truly, an amazing fountain of knowledge you are. Crazy seals.....

[Joshua Naterman]

jl5555: I'm just lucky enough to be able to remember almost all of what I read and hear. Thank you though Lol, crazy AND cold !

Nifty: if you lie in the snow, be sure and post pics of your frost bite!!! I'm sure you'll have it in interesting places

But seriously, focus on school, I'm all off on my walking and I'll probably be off a day on my next workout because I've got finals Where are you, that you have 5 inches of snow?! VT has that much?!

[Tarun Suri]

I think this would be very relevant to post.

I've cold water doused regularly every summer.

http://www.montrealsystema.com/uploads/ ... OUSING.pdf

[Joshua Naterman]

This is an interesting mix of truth and fiction. It IS true that repeated exposure to cold water will lead to the body generating more heat with future exposures. There is an arctic swimmer whose body increases its temperature to 102-103 degrees before he jumps in, due to so much experience in the cold water. His body has adapted by becoming warmer while he is preparing to jump in. On Mythbusters, they had an episode where a Navy SEAL was given a set of tasks to do, like shooting accurately and so on, and then he was put into some sort of cold water bath for 30 minutes. I can't remember if they took him out after 30 minutes or if it went on for an hour, but I think what happened is that after 30 minutes his body temperature was exactly the same. He wasn't shivering or anything. After an hour, his temperature had actually gone UP by a degree or so. He got out, and performed BETTER than he did before exposure to cold water on the exact same set of tasks. The mythbusters crew were suitably astonished.

Having spent a large portion of time in very cold water, I can tell you that this absolutely happens

[Nick Van Bockxmeer]

i do contrast baths using buckets for my hands, wrists and elbows, usually in the evenings say 5 hours after a workout or whenever I am in recovery. It works well for me.

[Razz]

I feel a huge difference in contrast showers after workout. Pure cold showers work good aswell.

[Richard Duelley]

Where are you, that you have 5 inches of snow?! VT has that much?!

I am at Virginia Tech and we got a lot of snow over the weekend! 8) Its supposed to rain tomorrow but I am hoping for more snow!

My contrasting shower this morning was a great wake up and felt great!

[Ryan Libke]

I have been using the cold shower approach after my workouts. Its invigorating for sure, but quite shocking, given the winter season! I keep thinking of the kyukushin karate guys meditating under the waterfalls in the winter. Maybe not quite the same severity, but whew! I do think it is helping with the recovery a bit, though.

[Joshua Naterman]

running a cold bath and soaking in it for 10 minutes after each heavy workout, and it's incredible. Practically no soreness! I am also able to do more skills work in between heavy days

[Blairbob]

One of the problems of having no hot water right now is I dread showers. I dread even going into them and I used to like to take 2 a day.

Grr. It still isn't cold water as if I lived some place really cold but it ain't fun. :cry:

[Richard Duelley]

So far so good for me, the cold showers are definitely nice after a hard day.

[Marcelo Lara]

After I train anything I take a cold shower and I feel my skin more harder than before and I don't have the soreness. In fact, I can't tolerate the hot water, so I use warm-cold water and cold water.