The short answer is yes, but whether it provides all of the recovery benefits you might think it does is still up for debate. A 2019 study in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that taking a cold shower after a workout resulted in faster heart rate recovery.
Hot showers can help you sleep better and cool down from heat exposure. However, research says that cold showers are the best way to shower after working out. Cold showers offer a surprising number of health benefits, including protecting your skin, preserving your natural hair oils, and improving hydration.
in exercise physiology and human performance specialist with Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Sports Medicine Institute in Houston, Texas, it may be best to wait at least twenty minutes after exercise before taking a cold shower.
Drinking cold water after exercising can help lower your body temperature and rehydrate you effectively. When you exercise, your body temperature rises, and cold water can help cool you down quickly. Additionally, cold water may be more refreshing and can help replenish fluids lost through sweat.
In conclusion, cold and heat therapies are both effective for enhancing muscle recovery and reducing muscle damage with heat being superior immediately after exercise and cold at 24 hours after exercise. Cold is superior for pain relief immediately after exercise and at 24 hours.
Using cold showers (cold water immersion, or CWI, in research), long-term, will attenuate the anabolic signaling that occurs in muscles2 through the reduction of inflammation. I.e., you will decrease your ability to build a maximum amount of muscle, which directly contradicts the goal of building muscle.
Boosts Metabolism and Weight Loss
Regular cold showers stimulate the production of brown fat, a type of fat that generates heat by burning calories. Over time, this can aid in weight management and potentially support weight loss efforts when combined with a balanced diet and exercise.
Electrolyte imbalance
These electrolytes are crucial for muscle function, nerve signalling, and fluid balance. Drinking plain water immediately after a workout can exacerbate an electrolyte imbalance by further diluting the body's electrolyte levels.
The direct impact of cold showers increasing testosterone levels are not strongly supported. Some studies suggest that cold exposure might influence hormone regulation to some extent, but more research is needed to definitively establish any significant link between cold showers and increased testosterone levels.
Ideally, you should wait until you've stopped sweating profusely to hit the shower; otherwise, you run the risk of still being hot and sweaty after you've washed. This will vary from person to person, but in most cases, this will take between five and 30 minutes, depending on the intensity of the exercise.
The body's natural cooling process after a cold shower can promote sleepiness and facilitate a smoother transition into sleep. Cold showers can also lower body temperature, which is associated with sleep onset and maintenance, potentially improving sleep quality.
At the cellular level, cold can impair contraction kinetics in muscle and reduce the rate of excitation–contraction coupling. This practice significantly enhance body health, especially the skin, by balancing sebum levels, reducing acne and blocked pores, and releasing norepinephrine to modulate sebum production.
Taking cold showers every day for 30 days may lead to increased energy levels and alertness as well as improved overall health. Your skin and hair may feel and look better due to the reduced drying and irritating effects of a hot shower. However, remember, individual responses to cold therapy vary.
The Benefits of Taking a Cold Shower After a Workout
Showers aside, there's more evidence on the benefits of thermal interventions such as cold water immersion and whole- or partial-body cryo-stimulation, particularly for improving muscle soreness, Simon explains.
Many use either ice bath immersion for a period of 5–10 min (sometimes reported up to 20 min) or alternating therapy between the ice bath plunge and tepid water immersion, each lasting 1–5 min. With intense exercise, there will be some microtrauma and tears in the muscle fibers affected.
Can you sit immediately after a workout? Sitting down immediately after working out is generally not recommended, especially when your heart rate is still elevated. Instead, incorporate a brief cooldown routine first.
Drinking too much water can dilute the concentration of electrolytes, potentially leading to symptoms such as headache, muscle cramps and even confusion. Too little water can lead to dehydration, which include symptoms like thirst, tiredness, dizziness and even the potential for heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
The Institute of Medicine recommends a fluid intake of 3.7 L (15 cups) for males and 2.7 L (11 cups) for females. If you're looking to rehydrate fast, you can drink 8 oz to 12 oz of water every 15 minutes. But make sure not to exceed 1.5 liters — or 6.3 cups — in an hour and a half.
Sudden exposure to cold water could be detrimental for people with heart disease. Owing to Cold water, Body gets shocked and blood vessels in the skin shrink, making the blood flow in your body slow. Consequently, the heart works harder and beats faster to be able to pump blood throughout the body including the brain.
Cold water immersion attenuated long term gains in muscle mass and strength. It also blunted the activation of key proteins and satellite cells in skeletal muscle up to 2 days after strength exercise.
While there is no ideal frequency, experts suggest that showering several times per week is plenty for most people (unless you are grimy, sweaty, or have other reasons to shower more often). Short showers (lasting three or four minutes) with a focus on the armpits and groin may suffice.
Your body expends energy trying to stay warm in a cold shower. The result may be a small amount of calorie burn and increased metabolism. But don't plan to throw your healthy eating and exercise plan out just yet — research on this benefit is limited.
Lowering the temperature: Brown fat activates at colder temperatures, right before you start shivering. Some studies suggest turning down the thermostat, taking a cold shower or an ice bath could activate brown fat to help your body produce more to burn more calories.