Optimal Recovery
If you’re a fitness enthusiast, you want to make the most of each workout and speed up your recovery time to maximize strength and endurance gains. Saunas and cold plunges are popular post-workout activities, but do they work? And in what order should you do them?
Most experts recommend following a sauna with a cold plunge when using both in your training. Optimize your fitness recovery by using them in the correct order and nourishing your body with the right fuel to make maximum strength and endurance gains in the minimum amount of time.
Take the plunge
According to Dr. Mark Timmerman, a family physician and sports medicine specialist in Wisconsin, when your body temperature rises in the sauna, it activates your body’s fight-or-flight response. When this happens, you feel more alert, your mood improves, and you experience a reduced pain perception. Taking a cold plunge immediately activates your adrenaline and decreases inflammation.
Heat dilates your blood vessels, increasing flow and the delivery of oxygen and nutrients your muscles need to repair themselves. Cold, conversely, constricts blood vessels and inhibits inflammation. Taking a sauna first ensures your tissues get what they need to optimize fitness recovery before the cold dip eases muscle pain resulting from post-workout inflammation.
It’s recommended to check with your health care provider before beginning a sauna and cold plunge routine.
Don’t forget nutrition
Following a sauna with a cold plunge is only one tool in your optimal fitness recovery toolbox. Another crucial ingredient is nutrition.
Many gym-goers know the importance of protein. However, they often associate protein with a thick, juicy steak, but all the fat and calories it contains can hinder your progress, especially if you hope to tone and cut. Instead, opt for lean proteins like chicken or fish for the omega-3 fatty acids, or plant-based sources, such as vegetarian bean chili over whole wheat pasta.
Immediately after your workout, you can pair your protein with carbs. Your body uses your glycogen stores as workout fuel, and it’s important to replenish them once you’re done.
Pay attention to your microbiome, too, as it has more to do with optimizing your performance than science previously suspected. Think fresh veggies and whole grains for fiber and yogurt or fermented foods like miso or sauerkraut for a healthy dose of probiotics.
Most experts recommend following a sauna with a cold plunge when using both in your training. Optimize your fitness recovery by using them in the correct order and nourishing your body with the right fuel to make maximum strength and endurance gains in the minimum amount of time.
Beth Rush is the fitness editor at Body+Mind. She writes about how women with PCOS can hack their exercise routines to balance hormones naturally. She covers topics like plant-based recipes for athletes and preaching the benefits of green exercise. You can find Beth on Twitter @bodymindmag.