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Tom's Guide
6 days ago
- Health
- Tom's Guide
Should you heat or ice a muscle injury? New study has found the answer
We're hardly short on ways to boost muscle recovery, whether it's pummeling ourselves with the best massage guns or paying a visit to the local physiotherapist. But a debate has been simmering in the background about hot and cold therapy, and it's this: is heat or ice better for muscle recovery? Or both? Growing up, I've always been taught to apply ice to swollen ankles or sore muscles post-workout, but then the rise of heat therapy came along, and suddenly, you're either jumping into an ice bath, braving an infrared sauna, or flipping between the two in something called 'Contrast Water Therapy.' Now, a study says this is the real answer. Here's what it shows. A study published in the Journal of Physiology looked at the effects of hot water and cold water therapy on muscle recovery in 34 participants. They found evidence to suggest that hot water immersion therapy significantly improved recovery compared to cold water. They found evidence to suggest that hot water immersion therapy significantly improved recovery compared to cold water. Researchers simulated a muscle injury in a lab setting, then used several modalities to see which would offer the most improvement. Participants were offered three recovery methods: cold (15 minutes at 12 degrees Celsius / 53.6 Fahrenheit), hot (60 minutes at 42 degrees Celsius / 107.6 Fahrenheit) and room temperature (30 minutes at 12 degrees Celsius / 53.6 Fahrenheit), all performed daily for 10 days. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Recovery was monitored using inflammation markers, muscle biopsies and performance testing. While strength improvements were similar in each setting, hot water showed to reduce perceived muscle pain and improve muscle damage markers; cold water didn't improve perceived muscle pain or reduce markers of damage. In short, the experiment found that hot water immersion could be more beneficial than cold water and room temperature immersion recovery methods for muscle regeneration and injury. Whether it's wild swimming, cryotherapy, or ice plunges, subjecting the body to temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit) has been thought to have multiple benefits for the body, including boosting mood and focus and enhancing recovery. One study published in Biology reported participants felt more alert and attentive and less nervous or distressed after cold water bathing. The American Heart Association (AHA) warns of some risks associated with cold water immersion, and the data surrounding the practice is limited, so always exercise this form of recovery with caution and seek medical advice if you're unsure. There are many types of heat therapy, such as infrared saunas, traditional saunas, steam rooms and heat packs. However, it's hot water immersion — think hot tubs or similar — that could be the most effective. A study found that soaking in a hot tub, or soaking in hot water in general, could boost blood flow, immune response and cardiovascular health compared with traditional or infrared saunas when assessing heat methods. This could be in part because the immersion method helps raise core body temperature more effectively, which could be a key stimulus for the responses the study found. Then, there's contrast therapy, or hot and cold therapy (as it's also known). This involves switching between both methods in the same recovery session, allowing you to benefit from the energizing and mood-boosting benefits of cold water, followed by the soothing and relaxing benefits of heat. Here's a little evidence to support the method: a study published in PLoS One found that contrast therapy outperformed passive recovery or rest in reducing muscle pain after workouts in athletes. The next time you're faced with the decision: Hot or cold? Now you know which way to swing. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Free Malaysia Today
12-05-2025
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
Exercise is good for the brain as well as the body
A new US study suggests that physical activity could play a key role in preserving one's mental capacities. (Envato Elements pic) PARIS : It's well established that exercise is good for our bodies, but what about our brains? A new US study, published in the Journal of Physiology, suggests that physical activity could play a key role in preserving one's mental capacities, even when one of the brain's key energy sources isn't available. This study focuses on a little-known mechanism: the production of ketones. These organic compounds are produced by the liver when the body is subjected to fasting, a low-carb diet or poorly controlled diabetes. Ketones then serve as an alternative energy source, particularly for the brain, when glucose is in short supply. Under normal circumstances, when glucose reserves are depleted, the liver takes over, generating these compounds that support essential brain functions such as memory and learning, while helping to maintain good brain health. ADVERTISEMENT VIDCRUNCH Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Quality Auto Back 360p 240p 144p Auto Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x / Skip Ads by But what happens if the liver becomes unable to perform this function? This is precisely the question that researchers at the University of Missouri, Columbia, set out to answer. By artificially limiting ketone production in a number of volunteers, they observed a clear drop in cognitive performance. However, the subjects who took part in regular physical activity showed astonishing resilience: exercise seemed to overcome the metabolic impairment and restore, at least in part, memory and learning capacity. Fuel for the brain In other words, exercise alone could compensate for this metabolic deficit and enable the partial restoration of cognitive functions. 'Going into the study, we thought that with fewer ketones and the cognitive impairments that causes, exercise may not be able to overcome that impairment. 'But it seems like exercise is so powerful that there are other mechanisms going on in the brain that allow it to circumvent those impairments and still receive the benefits from exercise,' explained Taylor Kelty, study coauthor and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Missouri, quoted in a news release. This offers a promising avenue of exploration, particularly for people with liver disease, who are often unable to produce these ketones. This link between liver and brain, still largely unexplored, could well prove to be an essential pathway in the fight against cognitive decline, whether linked to age or certain pathologies. Indeed, research suggests that patients experiencing severe liver dysfunction are at greater risk of dementia. Ultimately, the study highlights the importance of ketone production on brain health and the impact physical activity can have on staying mentally sharp. 'This study highlights how exercise benefits the body in a multitude of ways, even when we don't fully understand all the molecular mechanisms involved. 'Even when we remove a single pathway, exercise is doing so many other things that it can help mitigate those deficiencies,' said R Scott Rector, a professor in the School of Medicine. Exercise could be much more than just an ally for the heart and muscles. It could also prove to be a real booster for memory and mental alertness, paving the way for the consideration of physical activity as a key factor in brain health.
Malay Mail
26-04-2025
- Health
- Malay Mail
Can working out save your memory? New study links physical activity to better brain resilience
LONDON, April 27 — It's well established that exercise is good for our bodies, but what about our brains? A new American study, published in the Journal of Physiology, suggests that physical activity could play a key role in preserving our mental capacities, even when one of the brain's key energy sources isn't available. This study focuses on a little-known mechanism: the production of ketones. These organic compounds are produced by the liver when the body is subjected to fasting, a low-carb diet or poorly controlled diabetes. Ketones then serve as an alternative energy source, particularly for the brain, when glucose is in short supply. Under normal circumstances, when glucose reserves are depleted, the liver takes over, generating these compounds that support essential brain functions such as memory and learning, while helping to maintain good brain health. But what happens if the liver becomes unable to perform this function? This is precisely the question that researchers at the University of Missouri, Columbia, set out to answer. By artificially limiting ketone production in a number of volunteers, they observed a clear drop in cognitive performance. However, the subjects who took part in regular physical activity showed astonishing resilience: exercise seemed to overcome the metabolic impairment and restore, at least in part, memory and learning capacity. Fuel for the brain In other words, exercise alone could compensate for this metabolic deficit and enable the partial restoration of cognitive functions. 'Going into the study, we thought that with fewer ketones and the cognitive impairments that causes, exercise may not be able to overcome that impairment. But it seems like exercise is so powerful that there are other mechanisms going on in the brain that allow it to circumvent those impairments and still receive the benefits from exercise,' explains Taylor Kelty, study coauthor and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Missouri, quoted in a news release. This offers a promising avenue of exploration, particularly for people with liver disease, who are often unable to produce these ketones. This link between liver and brain, still largely unexplored, could well prove to be an essential pathway in the fight against cognitive decline, whether linked to age or certain pathologies. Indeed, research suggests that patients experiencing severe liver dysfunction are at greater risk of dementia. Ultimately, the study highlights the importance of ketone production on brain health and the impact physical activity can have on staying mentally sharp. 'This study highlights how exercise benefits the body in a multitude of ways, even when we don't fully understand all the molecular mechanisms involved. Even when we remove a single pathway, exercise is doing so many other things that it can help mitigate those deficiencies,' says R. Scott Rector, a professor in the School of Medicine. Exercise could be much more than just an ally for the heart and muscles. It could also prove to be a real booster for memory and mental alertness, paving the way for the consideration of physical activity as a key factor in brain health. — ETX Studio
