Hello Steemians!

Last night I decided to go for a bike ride with a couple of friend's after dinner for a fun cardio workout. It was around 9pm in the evening and the weather outside was 40 degrees, really hot and humid as you can imagine!

We decided to cycle by the man-made canal located in Dubai's Business Bay, after an hour of cycling we were beat! We were drenched in sweat from our workout plus the 40 degrees weather wasn't helping. All I could think about was going home and taking a nice cold bath!

While I was relaxing in my nice cold bubble bath, I got to thinking wether it was better to take a cold bath after an intense workout or a hot bath. I personally always loved taking a cold bath/shower post-workout.

So I decided to do some research, and find out what temperature was the way to go after a hot and sweaty session at the gym.

Cold Bath

Personal Trainer Igor Klibanov:

While plunging into icy water straight after getting all hot and sweaty in the gym might be a shock to the system, the argument is that it cools the body down quickly and evenly. The drop in temperature then directs blood flow towards the vital organs; leaving the muscles alone to repair themselves and release any accumulated lactic acid.

Benefits of a Cold Bath

• Vasoconstriction (process of narrowing the blood vessels, which limits blood flow)
• Lowers the temperature of damaged tissue
• Prevents bruising & swelling
• Reduce Soreness
• Reduces Toxins
• Reduces Stress
• Increases immunity & circulation
• Repairs swollen and inflamed muscles fibers
• Activates numbing of pain receptors

Cautions of a Cold Bath

• Cold baths can make the tissues go stiff, making it easy to injure tissue once it is cold.
• The best time to go for a cold water bath is right after an intense workout session.
• Extreme temperature changes for people with heart problems or issues with high blood pressure can increase the heart rate and cause erratic breathing.
• A cold bath should be between (10-15 Celsius/50-59 Fahrenheit)

Hot Bath

Personal Trainer Igor Klibanov:

A hot, steamy shower works to stimulate blood flow to the skin and soothe muscles. Increased blood flow is said to aid dispersing lactic acid from the body, which could help prevent or lessen aching muscles.

Benefits of a Hot Bath

• Vasodilation (process of widening the blood vessels, which increase the blood flow)
• Increase blood flow to remove waste and toxins
• Initiates healing, and re-growth of muscles into stronger tissue
• Reduces Stress

Caution of a Hot Bath

• Don’t apply heat to damaged tissue.
• Heat can cause inflammation, so painful swelling and arthritis may not be ideal cases for heat application.
• There are mixed views as to whether extreme heat helps the body recover its core temperature or has the effect of heating the body up even more when it is already hot from the exercise.
• A hot bath should be around (40-46 C / 105 - 115 F. Anything over can be dangerous.

The Verdict

Personal Trainer Igor Klibanov:

Fitness experts believe lukewarm water of around 24 C (75.2 F) is a better bet, post-workout. Warmer water allows the body to gradually recover its normal temperature without subjecting it to another extreme. Once you’re immersed and your body has started to cool down from the workout, you can then gradually decrease (or increase) the water temperature to more extreme levels.

In reality, many people are just looking to cool down and freshen up following a workout, but given the reported health benefits, a cold shower may be worth a try; especially if you are a serious gym-goer.

Thank you for reading this post, hope it was beneficial to you!

References:

• http://www.doctortipster.com/22692-cold-water-bath-vs-hot-water-bath-after-training.html
• http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/men/hygiene/should-man-take-cold-shower-after-workout1.htm
• http://www.fitnesssolutionsplus.ca/blog/shower-after-workout/