The Benefits and Drawbacks of Taking a Cold Plunge Before and After a Workout.
In a world of ever-increasing time constraints, squeezing in a workout amidst a hectic schedule can be difficult. Fortunately, many people are finding ways to squeeze every ounce of benefit out of their workouts even if it’s a quick one. One such approach is to take a cold plunge both before and after your workout. Advocates of this method of enhancing your workout claim it will help boost physical performance, enhance recovery, and even accelerate the process of fat burning.
Advocates of pre-workout cold plunging state that immersing yourself in cold water before beginning a workout can help to improve circulation during your exercise routine. The cold shock stimulates your body’s responses, sending more blood to your extremities, resulting in warmer overall body temperature. The warm-up enhances muscle performance and leaves your body better prepared for exercise.
The pre-work out cold plunge also seems to promote fat burning. There is a theory that when muscle and skin temperatures drop, the body reacts by fighting to maintain homeostasis. The body goes into panic mode, producing copious amounts of heat in the form of fat-burning enzymes and other hormones, thereby increasing your metabolism and fat burning potential. Post-workout cold plunging is also thought to be beneficial for accelerating recovery.
After strenuous exercise, small tears occur in the muscle fibers, resulting in soreness around that area. Applying cold to these areas helps numb the nerves and reduce the inflammation, thus reducing the feeling of pain and shortening the recovery time. Despite the many claimed benefits, there are some drawbacks to taking cold plunges both before and after a workout.
Firstly, if the plunge is too cold, it can cause tissue damage, so it’s best to avoid anything extreme. Additionally, cold plunging can place stress on your immune system and can cause hypother mia if done improperly. Thus, it’s best to consult a specialist before engaging in prolonged cold plunging.