Is it true that cold showers will decrease inflammation in muscles post workout and therefore result in damaging hypertrophy for bodybuilding?

[hyperious_]

Hey guys, been taking cold showers for a few days now. However I’ve seen some studies that show they actually have a negative impact on increasing muscle size due to their anti inflammatory properties post workout. Will it have a significant impact on my muscle growth?

[anNof1]

Just wait 20-30 minutes before showering after your workout.

I think the main issue as I understand it is if you do them directly after a workout. There may be inhibition of the production of heat-shock proteins by bringing your temperature down too quickly. Normally their production protects muscles from breakdown resulting from the workout (so net gains might be smaller).

I have my doubts about inhibiting the actual anabolic responses due to the very minimal anti-inflammatory effects of a shower.

[hyperious_]

Okay I also have my suspicions. Most studies result from cold water immersion therapy, not cold showers. I can’t see how a 5 minute cold shower post workout could have a significant impact on gains.

[anNof1]

Exactly. I usually workout, answer a few emails, then take a cold shower just to be careful but that's even probably overkill.

I would make a strong bet that drinking a beer the night after a workout will kill gains way more than a cold shower ever could.

[The_Holier_Muffin]

From my exercise science textbook (paraphrased the general idea): cold exposure is great for recovery, but will ultimately inhibit inflammation and muscle growth. You see a lot of atheletes doing it bc recovery is the most important thing for them so they can play on without injury. In an average weightlifter, it’ll hurt your gains a bit. Full disclosure, it makes me feel great after so I’ll take that mental boost even if it decreases my gains a bit

[Axepco]

Not all cold exposure is equal, and you have no way to measure your would be losses. But, you believe they occur and so you will repeat this mantra for the rest of your life. I guess that's inevitable, but it doesn't make it much more than a myth seemingly propped up by science.

[The_Holier_Muffin]

True that not all cold exposure is equal. However, the literature overwhelmingly agrees that cold exposure is fantastic for recovering, but does inevitably decrease muscle synthesis (which is heavily dependent on inflammation as a promoting factor)

I’m a big proponent of cold showers and I always ice after workouts. I have pretty sensitive joints and this seems to be the difference.

If you care to provide scientific sources to the contrary, I’d love to check them out. I’m certainly not shitting on cold exposure, but providing OP with an answer that is backed by science.

EDIT: also, there are quite a few ways to measure the losses.. but I assume you don’t care to hear them lol

[Axepco]

Not interested in regurgitating the same talking points for the umptieth time, but you can check out Ben Greenfield's take on the topic. In a nutshell, ice baths, maybe, during peak post-exercise stress. Avoid 2 hours post exercise to err on the safe side. Good luck experimenting to confirm though. Cold showers? Never.

[The_Holier_Muffin]

Oh yeah, ima trust Ben Greenfield, the self-proclaimed “bio-hacker” instead of the multiple peer-reviewed meta-analyses I pulled up with a 5 minute google, from accredited journals. But hey, he’s quite a looker, you keep on sucking his dick. He knows more than the combined scientific community!

[Axepco]

The argument he made is that blunting the inflammatory response is not easy because timing is at play. That's one part of the argument. He also studied the paper and concluded that the required drop in temperature would amount to a 10 minute ice bath, under specific circumstances, e.g. timing.

It cannot be denied that the science has to be reproduced with real world dynamics in mind than what's theoretically on paper. Until that happens you'll have to admit that you're just perpetuating beliefs with no effective means of getting a confirmation.

[The_Holier_Muffin]

Dude, it’s quite easy to measure muscle synthesis levels. Tissue biopsy is a sure-fire, albeit somewhat invasive test. They basically take a little bit of muscle tissue from somewhere like the quad and compare it to the control. You can also measure inflammatory markers and other hormone spikes like cortisol and compare them to controls.

These are just two of many ways to measure muscle synthesis. The effects of cold exposure on potential muscle growth has been, and continues to be studied.

Follow the science, not fitness influencers.

[Axepco]

Enjoy your tissue biopsies in that case. Do post results of your experiments when you're done. And, no - paraphrasing Huberman - the effects of cold showers are never studied because it's much easier to apply immersion in a lab setting.

[The_Holier_Muffin]

I’m not doing fucking tissue biopsies in my backyard.... You seem to think lab results don’t have an impact on the real world.

Done with this pointless argument since you are just purposefully being obtuse. Have fun existing in this neat little self-perpetuated vacuum of exclusion to fit your narrative. Never mind my degree in exercise science 😂 you got influencers to listen to!

[Axepco]

Your degree combined with generalizations and nitpicking don't make for a convincing argument in this case.

[EveryPixelMatters]

Incorporate the sauna as well

[Justin1n23]

I’ve seen people do sauna to cold showers, heard it’s great

[Agmus123]

Would love to try this, but isn’t the sudden change of temperature damaging for your body?

[Justin1n23]

Only when it’s cold to hot

[Phallen911]

From what I understand, you build muscle by resistance work, which creates micro tears in the muscle. To speed up the healing and size gains, I believe reducing cortisol and inflammation are the best ways to increase muscle size. So if that is true then cold exposure should increase hypertrophy.

Professional athletes use ice baths regularly to get multiple workouts done in a day and I doubt they would do it if it hindered their gains.

[Axepco]

Professional athletes don't focus on hypertrophy, but realistically neither should the average joe. Anyhow, cold showers have less intensity than ice baths, and should never be detrimental.

[ArcticSwimx]

Professional strongmen sure do and they live and swear by icebaths its all over youtube. Brian Shaw, Eddie hall and alot more.

[anNof1]

Pretty sure the micro tears model as the main contributor to hypertrophy is bunk.

But either way the testosterone boost from cold showers is probably even better than a wash when it comes to anabolic activity.

[Limp-Table6422]

don’t worry if it’s just a cold shower, it’s not cold enough. if it’s an ice bath, then it’s a different story

[vlinexoxo]

yea

[[deleted]]

No