Cold plunges may have fewer benefits than hot baths, new study suggests
A new small study suggests that athletes will perform better if they soak in a hot tub rather than a frigid one, especially if there are breaks in their workouts.
Ice baths after exercise are hot, especially among influencers.
But a new small study suggests that recreational athletes perform better if they soak in a hot tub rather than a frigid one, especially if there are breaks in their workouts, such as halftime in football and soccer, according to a report presented Thursday at the 2024 Integrative Physiology of Exercise Conference in University Park, Pennsylvania.
When you exercise vigorously, muscle fibers are damaged and the hot water can increase blood flow, which helps the muscles repair themselves and become stronger, said the study’s lead author, Mamoru Tsuyuki, a master’s student in sports and health science at Ritsumeikan University in Shiga, Japan.
“Also increasing muscle temperature is going to help improve power output,” Tsuyuki told NBC News in a Zoom call. “When you need to perform twice in the same day, such as in sports that have a halftime, heat is better. During the 15 or 20 minutes, if you can immerse yourself in hot water, you can probably perform better in the second half.”
That doesn’t mean there’s no value in icy soaks, Tsuyuki said, adding that other studies have shown that the frigid water can relieve muscle soreness. Moreover, ice is best if there is an injury.
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