hot or cold?

[ALEX.18 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ALEX.18]

in high school we used to take ice baths after thursday practice because the games were on friday nights and our coach wanted us to be as fresh as possible for the game. and in baseball we would do them the night before each playoff game. i also have heard of people taking hot baths after a workout. so my question is this...as far as recovery goes, do you guys think a hot or cold bath is more beneficial?

im doing legs today so i was thinking of trying this once i get done

[chevy355s10 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close chevy355s10]

I've inverse understood that whole ice-bath shit. Anyway,I look at it like this,a cold bath will cause your muscles and joints to be tight.setting you up for an injury.a warm bath will relax your tendons,muscles,and joints. Helping to ease the pain and make you less likely to hurt something. My knees are shit,so guess. What bath I take.lol

[ALEX.18 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ALEX.18]

i meen from a recovery standpoint. after you workout

[Pauliuch Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pauliuch]

I've inverse understood that whole ice-bath shit. Anyway,I look at it like this,a cold bath will cause your muscles and joints to be tight.setting you up for an injury.a warm bath will relax your tendons,muscles,and joints. Helping to ease the pain and make you less likely to hurt something. My knees are shit,so guess. What bath I take.lol

Actually after a workout your joints and muscles are inflamed. Heat will increase the blood flow to them and increase the inflammation. Also your slightly dehydrated and heat can further that a bit. Cold water, ice, will reduce inflammation and speed recovery.

[chevy355s10 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close chevy355s10]

Hot baths and showers always worked best for me
Guess I'm just a freak of nature.lol

[xamo Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close xamo]

There are studies contradicting each of those methods... so at the end of the day just take your bath or shower just the way you like

[ALEX.18 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ALEX.18]

Well im in a ice bath as we speak haha. Ill keep you guys updated on the recovery process. Just finished a leg workout so we'll see how it goes

[timguinness Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close timguinness]

Actually after a workout your joints and muscles are inflamed. Heat will increase the blood flow to them and increase the inflammation. Also your slightly dehydrated and heat can further that a bit. Cold water, ice, will reduce inflammation and speed recovery.

Exactly. Physical therapists have always told me to use cold to reduce inflammation, heat on the days after to help relax the muscles once inflammation has receded.

Here is an excellent short article on the subject: http://saveyourself.ca/articles/ice-heat-confusion.php

[chevy355s10 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close chevy355s10]

I never said anyone was wrong. Simply put,my body is different.cold makes me hurt a lot worse than the hurt before I took the bath.
Guess I have more arthritis in my body than what my old doctors thought m.

[Big L Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Big L]

Im with you chevy i never take a cold shower or bath. Its always a hot shower. Ive been in my house 3 years and have yet had time to use the jetted tub in my master bath

[ALEX.18 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ALEX.18]

Everything ive read so far says cold right after an heat later on

[Bull Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bull]

After my knee surgery the doc told me this "heat works quicker, cold last longer". He was reffering to the swelling and pain with my knees post surgery. Ice definately helped with me.

[Nature101 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Nature101]

Cryotherapy ( ice bath) constricts the blood vessels and decreases metabolic activity, which reduces swelling and tissue break down. Once the skin is no longer in contact with the cold source, the underlying tissues warm up, causing a return of faster bloodflow, which helps return the byproducts of cellular breakdown to the lymph system for efficient recycling of the body.

Although scientific reasearch on ice baths exists and the technique is widely used ( especially my marathon runners) there is just not enough research outlining a protcal that has been proven more effective than other method.

IMPO- I am a supporter of ice bath.

[ALEX.18 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ALEX.18]

Update: So saturday i got in a crucial leg workout, best pump ive gotten in my entire legs in a while. Did a 10 min ice bath about 30 mins after my last rep. Legs immediately felt refreshed. Sunday, was a little sore but not too bad, on a scale of 1-10, sunday was about a 2. Soaked in a hot bath for 10 mins and stretched while i was in there . Monday was horrible. I would rate mondays soreness a 9. I couldnt walk right. I had a few people ask me at work if i was ok haha. Most of the pain was in my hamstrings so i couldnt straighten my leg completely. Soaked in a hot tub monday for another 10 mins and stretched again while i was in there. Tuesdays soreness was probably a 3. Didnt soak on tuesday. Today, i have zero soreness in my legs

I think i will be making this routine a staple in my life from now on

[Nature101 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Nature101]

So ice day 1 heat days 2-3?