THE POWER OF CONTRAST THERAPY

Contrast therapy has quickly become a popular form of wellness-boosting. In short, it’s an alternating combo of extreme cold followed by heat. 

Why? When the body is put under a high intensity of stress for a short period of time, it sends signals to increase adrenaline. This in turn increases blood flow (which is a great way to deliver oxygen and nutrients to damaged tissue), moves fluid around the body (reducing inflammation and swelling) and reduces lactic acid build (the key cause of those dreaded post-workout DOMS!)

So the benefits to contrast therapy are vast, and it’s become a popular way to wind down after a workout to relieve sore muscles, fatigue and help to reduce injury. 

The constant change in the temperature of your environment also helps the body stay agile – not having time to get used to the same temperature. 

THE SCIENCE

There are two key physiological processes triggered by contrast therapy.

CARDIOVASCULAR EFFICIENCY

When moving between hot and cold environments, your body behaves like a heat pump. When it’s hot, your skin becomes flushed and pink, as your vessels open, allowing blood to rush to the surface and cool the body. In the cold, this process is reversed as blood vessels constrict, activating a survival mechanism to pump blood away from the cold and protect your organs. 

METABOLISM INCREASE

When cycling between hot and cold, we recommend ending on cold if you’re after the metabolism boost that goes with it. Cooling at the end forces the body to reheat itself naturally. 

When immersed in the cold, brown fat cells are activated immediately, burning energy to keep the body warm, and your cardio system moves that heat to the places it’s most needed. But when you leave the cold, this process continues. The fat cells stay activated, neurotransmitters are still firing, and you’ll continue burning brown fat to heat the body fully back to a more comfortable temperature.

THE COLD BIT

When we say “cold” we mean anywhere below 16°C. A dip in the pool won’t cut it, you’ll likely want to use an “ice bath” (cold water with ice added later) which sits at a cool 5-10°c. Look out for these heading to Village Health & Wellness Clubs this Spring! 

The rule is, it has to be cold enough to be uncomfortable, to create a feeling of “I want to get out, but I’m ok to tough it out for a bit.”.

Your tolerance for discomfort will improve the more you do it. You could always work your way up to it by starting to take cold showers to acclimatise your body to the shock of the cold. 

THE HOT BIT

Once you’ve cooled the body, you’ll then want to re-heat, to an optimal temperature of between 37-54°C. For this bit, you’ll want to head to the sauna. 

We recommend beginning with 10-15 minute sessions at 100°F (38°C).

AND… SWITCH

Once you’ve mastered the cold plunge and the sauna, it’s time to contact. Try the following cycle to get you started:

SAUNA 10-15mins
COLD PLUNGE 45-60secs
SAUNA 10-15mins
COLD PLUNGE 45-60secs
SAUNA 10-15mins
COLD PLUNGE 45-60secs

BIG BENEFITS

Not just a great way to speed up recovery after a hard workout, contrast therapy comes with bags of other benefits too…

A NATURAL MOOD BOOSTER

Powered by a huge 250% increase in dopamine, deliberate cold exposure shifts your body state and changes your mindset. This has the ability to significantly boost your mood for many hours afterwards. 

CARDIOVASCULAR STRENGTHENING

Your body contains 70,000 miles of veins, arteries and capillaries moving blood around. When we move between hot and cold, it gives all of those tiny muscles controlling blood flow, a serious workout.

MENTAL ALERTNESS & FOCUS

Regular cold water immersion improves wakefulness, alertness, learning and memory.  It also supports your regulation of pain. And not forgetting that huge 250% increase in dopamine, a natural ‘feel good’ hit.

WEIGHT MANAGEMENT

The cold triggers our metabolism, our internal furnace, by releasing free-form fatty acids (FFAs) and glucose. The collaborative effects of contrast therapy work together to switch our metabolism to fat-burning mode.

REDUCES INFLAMMATION
Research indicates that cold exposure decreases inflammation in people with inflammatory conditions as well as aiding recovery after exercise. A great shout if you’re feeling the effects of a rigorous BodyPump class or BURN workout!

TOP CONTRAST THERAPY TIPS

It’ll take a few goes to get into the swing, and the shock of alternating between extreme temperatures. So, a few handy tips to get you started.

1.Listen To Your Body
It’s not supposed to feel comfortable. That’s the big idea. Though if you feel unbearable discomfort or even pain, stop. Stay in the cold plunge only as long as your body can actually tolerate. If it hurts, it’s your body’s way of telling you it’s too much.

2. Stay Hydrated
It's important to stay hydrated when doing contrast therapy, as it can cause you to sweat a lot. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after your sessions to ensure that you replenish the fluids lost. 

3. Stretch It Out
Think as your warm session as a, well, warm up! Whilst you’re in the sauna, have a good stretch to help increase blood flow and prevent cramping with the temperature change.

4.Increase Intensity
When doing contrast therapy, it's crucial to gradually increase the intensity of both the heat and cold to build the contrast. The idea is to keep the body challenged without getting too comfortable. 

5. End On Cold
Always finish with cold therapy. If you finish with heat, it may worsen swelling and inflammation after a workout. It’s also crucial to finish with the cold stint for that metabolism boost that’ll keep the body burning energy for hours afterwards.