Latest news with #cold water therapy
Yahoo
26-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Hot vs cold: which is better for muscle recovery? New study says this is the answer
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. 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. What is the study? 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. 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. Benefits of cold water immersion 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. Benefits of hot water immersion 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. More from Tom's Guide Forget running and swimming — study finds this sport adds 10 years to your life Forget running — new study shows this exercise can burn body fat as much as cardio Forget 10,000 steps — study reveals the real number of minimum daily steps you should take, according to your age
Daily Mail
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Katy Perry reveals her VERY unusual pre-show ritual as she plunges her face into ice cold water ahead of her Canada shows after Lifetimes Tour hit string of blunders
Katy Perry revealed her unusual pre-show ritual as she prepares to take her Lifetimes Tour to Canada. The singer, 40, shared a quirky video to Instagram showing herself plunging her face into ice cold water as part of her pre-show routine. In the clip, she dipped her face into a bowl of iced water while breathing into a blue tube and timed how long she could hold her face in freezing cold water. Katy pulled her reddened face out of the icy water after 18 seconds before going back in for another eight seconds, then declaring that she was 'done'. 'It hurts my brain, I'm done,' she shared. 'I tried to look better for you Canada, I don't care.' Katy revealed that it was all part of a beauty ritual, though some of her team appeared less than convinced as one could be heard saying it was 'so stupid'. The singer, 40, shared a quirky video to Instagram showing herself plunging her face into ice cold water as part of her pre-show routine Alongside her post she penned: 'OH BOY CANADA HERE WE COME, EH.' Katy dubbed the item 'the best Instagram purchase she had ever made' as she claimed it was part of her upcoming show preparation. The FaceTub, which costs a staggering £109, combines cold water facial immersion and breathwork for reported skin benefits which include vagus nerve stimulation and deep breathing practice. Katy is set to take to the stage in Edmonton on July 24 to kick off her Canadian leg of her Lifetimes tour, before taking it to Winnipeg on July 26 and Ottawa on July 29. She will then travel to Montreal for a show on July 30 before performing in Quebec City the following night. The Roar hitmaker will then wrap things up with two shows in Toronto on August 5 and 6. Her Lifetimes tour has hit a number of snags and she most recently tripped and fell onstage during a show in Phoenix, Arizona. Amid reports of sluggish ticket sales, the tour began inauspiciously this April with a Mexico City concert that left fans roasting the singer for her 'mom moves '. As she jetted around the world for her gigs, her personal life made headlines with news that she had split from her fiancé Orlando Bloom, who attended Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez 's wedding solo as Katy performed in Australia. After returning to the States, she then hit another obstacle when she nearly fell from the air when a stage prop malfunctioned, and she also tripped on stage in another blunder. In fan footage circulating on TikTok, the California Gurls hitmaker was seen running onstage before stumbling and falling painfully on her front. She quickly recovered, drawing herself up to her knees and managing an improvised little dance that consisted of her jerkily pumping her fists up and down. Online observers shared their reactions, as one wrote: 'On stage she acts like a toddler running around at a wedding' and another wondered: 'Who is paying for this.' A third remarked that 'her tripping is the least embarrassing part of this video,' while a fourth said: 'If I had free tickets I still don't think I'd go.' One waggish TikTok user took aim at Katy's controversial all-female space flight, quipping: 'She's getting used to earths gravity again guys, don't make fun of her.' Others wrote: 'Not a single one of her songs warrants any of this,' 'You couldn't pay me enough to see her in concert!!,' 'The humiliation continues…,' 'Her career in 2 seconds,' and: 'They paid to watch her 'baby shark.'' Exactly one week after the Phoenix mishap, Katy left fans terrified by nearly falling out of the air during a performance in San Francisco. Fans were left panicked as they captured the heart-stopping moment when she belted out her hit song Roar while soaring through the sky on a mechanical butterfly. Taking to Instagram the following day, Katy found the humor in the situation as she shared a series of snaps poking fun at the incident. Captioning a set of photos that showed the contrast of the day, she wrote: 'How the LA show started ➡️ how the LA show ended.' The first snap showed Katy relaxing in a bathtub, before cutting to some behind-the-scenes snaps of the show. It then switched to footage of Katy plunging downwards on the flying stage prop above the audience, followed by a clip of her walking out of the arena in her dressing gown, looking noticeably shaken. Katy also shared a snap on her Stories of the fall, with the caption: 'Goodnight San Francisco.'
