Studies are inconclusive if working out after or before a Cryotherapy session is best.
Cryotherapy has become increasingly popular among athletes and gym-goers in wellness clinics, physical therapy offices, and fitness centers alike. Cryotherapy can also be used surgically in medical settings to treat conditions like warts and skin tags as well as some cancers; furthermore it can reduce pain from depression, insomnia and insomnia; enhance recovery for muscle recovery/performance gains and overall well-being improvements. Although cryotherapy may seem harmless enough, certain people question its safety; there are specific contraindications such as pregnancy, heart conditions/nerve damage/hypersensitivity or hypersensitivity to extreme cold.
Used To Relieve Soreness from Intense Exercise
Cryotherapy for workouts is often used to relieve the ache and soreness caused by intense exercise, by encouraging your body to produce large quantities of lactic acid quickly, along with supercharging your blood with anti-inflammatory proteins that reduce inflammation in affected areas. Cryotherapy can also decrease muscle stiffness and tightness, giving you more power in future workouts.
Although the benefits of cryotherapy for workouts are clear, many individuals remain uncertain whether it would be most beneficial to use cryotherapy before or after an exercise session. While exposing muscles to cold temperatures prior to exercising may increase enzymatic and lysosomal enzyme activity and decrease overheating and reduce waste breakdown resulting in soreness and delayed muscle recovery, using cryotherapy after workout can reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), oxidative stress levels as well as fatigue through increasing white blood cell production as well as platelet-rich plasma (PBC).
Experts Are Not Sure Which Is Best
Cryotherapy studies conducted within an experimental framework make it impossible to know definitively which one is more effective, as participants know they are receiving active rather than placebo treatment. Nonetheless, whole-body cryotherapy sessions tend to be shorter and gentler on the body compared with ice baths; additionally ice baths can be dangerous for individuals living with certain health conditions like diabetes and those predisposed to hypothermia.
Whenever considering whole-body cryotherapy as part of your workouts, it’s wise to consult a trained professional from a wellness center or clinic for advice. They can suggest the optimal time and duration for you so you experience maximum benefits from each session. But remember: cryotherapy will not turn you into an unstoppable beast – so always adhere to a consistent training regime to reach your goals!
My passion for martial arts goes beyond practice; it is a philosophy that shapes my writing, bringing a distinctive edge to my narratives and advice. I hold black belts in two martial arts disciplines and have competed internationally, experiences that enrich my storytelling with authenticity and excitement.