ice cold showers after cycle...what does it do?

**xxterxx** · 12-25-2008, 02:10 PM

i came across an article about taking ice cold showers after cycle to shock the system...

anyone can explain more on what does it do?

thanks

**Big** · 12-25-2008, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by xxterxx

i came across an article about taking ice cold showers after cycle to shock the system...

anyone can explain more on what does it do?

thanks

after the entire cycle? never heard of it, what does the article say it does?

**xxterxx** · 12-25-2008, 02:30 PM

to shock the system or something like that...

i came across people saying it before too...about taking ice cold showers to 'shock' the system...

what does it do

**smokethedays** · 12-25-2008, 02:32 PM

This is the strangest thing I've heard in a long time.
I'd really like to know what are the reasons behind it.

**Fire Man** · 12-25-2008, 02:33 PM

yeah it does shock your system, a good way to get sick and get a cold lol.

**Mazzive_T** · 12-25-2008, 02:35 PM

a shower wouldnt do anything.

Now an ice bath after a workout would reduce DOMS. (delayed onset muscle stiffness)

but its been ages since i studied all that for my a levels so couldnt tell u how long to do it all for. But i believe straight after your workout or cardio, 3-5mins in an ice bath can do your muscles the world of good.

**Elexecution** · 12-25-2008, 02:53 PM

An ice cold shower directly after workout can actually shock your blood stream, causing the heart to stop.

**Atomini** · 12-25-2008, 03:05 PM

Sounds like the stupid bullshit from back in the 1960s when they knew absolutely nothing about the human body and it's relation to exercise.

**Tigershark** · 12-25-2008, 03:10 PM

Originally Posted by Atomini

Sounds like the stupid bullshit from back in the 1960s when they knew absolutely nothing about the human body and it's relation to exercise.

Agreed. Maybe you can link the article?

**T_Own** · 12-25-2008, 04:44 PM

Originally Posted by Big

after the entire cycle? never heard of it, what does the article say it does?

lol, so after a cycle, pct consists of one cold shower

**ottomaddox** · 12-25-2008, 04:55 PM

Is one shower enough or do I have to do it daily for anything to happen?

Originally Posted by T_Own

lol, so after a cycle, pct consists of one cold shower

**Big** · 12-25-2008, 04:59 PM

Originally Posted by ottomaddox

Is one shower enough or do I have to do it daily for anything to happen?

time on cycle + pct = length of shower
there goes my water bill

**ShadetreeJones** · 12-25-2008, 07:17 PM

I've seen fighters and football players take an ice bath after practice or a workout. I believe it aids in the recovery process and speeds it up.

They get into a barrel of ice cold water and submerge to the neck then stay in it for about 2 minutes.

**Big** · 12-25-2008, 07:45 PM

Originally Posted by ShadetreeJones

I've seen fighters and football players take an ice bath after practice or a workout. I believe it aids in the recovery process and speeds it up.

They get into a barrel of ice cold water and submerge to the neck then stay in it for about 2 minutes.

Yeah I've seen them do that on UFC, after a workout is one thing, but after a cycle? That's the part that lost me.

**MercyDog** · 12-25-2008, 07:50 PM

Originally Posted by xxterxx

i came across an article about taking ice cold showers after cycle to shock the system...

anyone can explain more on what does it do?

thanks

Makes your prick finally go down.

**T_Own** · 12-25-2008, 08:59 PM

Originally Posted by ShadetreeJones

I've seen fighters and football players take an ice bath after practice or a workout. I believe it aids in the recovery process and speeds it up.

They get into a barrel of ice cold water and submerge to the neck then stay in it for about 2 minutes.

i've had to do that before, either full body or just my legs for track and it is awful. i can last about 30 seconds in that freezing water

**UrRoyalHighness** · 12-25-2008, 09:28 PM

i love cold showers, great to come home to living in Phoenix

**ShadetreeJones** · 12-25-2008, 09:34 PM

He might mean after workouts, during cycle. That's the only thing I can figure. Otherwise, I am stumped.

**jimmyinkedup** · 12-25-2008, 10:44 PM

ice thing is to instantly offset the onset (*L* that sounds kinda strange) of inflammation and flush lactic acid out of the muscles. Im betting (hoping) the article meant after workout cause the other option we are discussing sounds pretty silly IMO ....

**bladerunner9** · 12-25-2008, 11:53 PM

Originally Posted by xxterxx

to shock the system or something like that...

i came across people saying it before too...about taking ice cold showers to 'shock' the system...

what does it do

Atleast you shud have remember it. Did you ever asked people the reason ?
Was it after a cycle or Cycling ... coz u didn't remember even a smal thing from the article thats why i am asking.

**xxterxx** · 12-26-2008, 10:45 AM

its not a must after the cycle...but taking ice cold showers for bodybuilders in general.... i heard it aids in recovery or maybe helping gain muscle in some way

**AnimalGear** · 12-26-2008, 11:08 AM

you'd think a warm/hot shower would do more...

an old Arnie trick was to take a showa and alternate b/t super hot and super cold...creates a situation where blood is super duper pumped thruout the body if that makes sense...

and i know that sitting in hot tub/taking hot shower after workout keeps test levels kind of up

**anon03191970** · 12-26-2008, 03:34 PM

For further consideration,

Cold showers have the following positive effects:

* Brings blood to the capillaries, therefore increasing circulation throughout the body.

* Cleans the circulatory system.

* Reduces blood pressure on internal organs.

* Provides flushing for the organs and provides a new supply of blood.

* Strengthens the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems.

* Contracts the muscles to eliminate toxins and poisonous wastes.

* Strengthens the mucous membranes, which help resist hay fever, allergies, colds, coughs.

Note: I have not done a 20 week double blind test to verify the accuracy of the above claims. I present them merely as a jumping off point for further discussion.

**ClubberLangsUncle** · 12-26-2008, 04:45 PM

All it ever did for me was ruin my hard on.

**Matt** · 12-26-2008, 04:54 PM

I think i shall stick to my pct after a cycle, nice warm showers for me

**binder** · 12-26-2008, 05:25 PM

Originally Posted by jimmyinkedup

ice thing is to instantly offset the onset (*L* that sounds kinda strange) of inflammation and flush lactic acid out of the muscles. Im betting (hoping) the article meant after workout cause the other option we are discussing sounds pretty silly IMO ....

This is true for inflammation but not flushing of lactic acid. Cold would slow the circulatory system which would slow the removal of toxins from the muscles. Heat increases circulation.

Originally Posted by anon03191970

For further consideration,

Cold showers have the following positive effects:

* Brings blood to the capillaries, therefore increasing circulation throughout the body.

* Cleans the circulatory system.

* Reduces blood pressure on internal organs.

* Provides flushing for the organs and provides a new supply of blood.

* Strengthens the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems.

* Contracts the muscles to eliminate toxins and poisonous wastes.

* Strengthens the mucous membranes, which help resist hay fever, allergies, colds, coughs.

Note: I have not done a 20 week double blind test to verify the accuracy of the above claims. I present them merely as a jumping off point for further discussion.

1: not true. Cold will cause vasoconstriction which will reduce the amount of blood in the capillaries. Hence the reason people start losing fingers and toes when they are in extreme cold situations. The body shuts off blood supply to the extremities.

2:How can it clean the circulatory system if the capillaries are constricted and not allowing blood to flow through them?

3: Vasoconstriction causes an INCREASE in blood pressure. Medications like Levaphed do this same thing. Causes vasoconstriction which will increase a patient's blood pressure.

4: same as number 2. Blood flow is reduced with vasoconstriction caused by cold temperatures.

5: Again, how can it eliminate toxins if there is reduced blood flow?

I do believe that after a workout or fight that it would help reduce the inflammation of the muscles which could reduce soreness. I would imagine that the people that do these ice baths allow their bodies to naturally cool down first which would allow the body to circulate blood for a good amount of time before hitting it with cold water.

**romo6** · 12-26-2008, 06:36 PM

Count me out i hate cold water.Interesting information tho.

**Darksyde** · 12-26-2008, 07:22 PM

in general contrast (hot/cold) shower hydrotherapy is an overall body tonifier.

**jimmyinkedup** · 12-26-2008, 10:34 PM

binder:This is true for inflammation but not flushing of lactic acid. Cold would slow the circulatory system which would slow the removal of toxins from the muscles. Heat increases circulation.

Prob meanlingless (def in this thread) and could be debated ....."flushing" wasnt a 100 % accurate term. According to the head trainer of san diego chargers (phd exer phys kines all that bs), " ice reduces inflammation via constriction as we know but it also eliminates lactic acid via the same method.. ...by shocking and constricting muscle cells rapidly it closes them down releasing toxicities including lactic acid...as athletes body returns to normal temp vasodialation occurs the toxins are then evacuated through blood stream."

Anyway ...kinda interesting read and conformed with what i heard inflamation /lactic acid...who know prob 50 theories...in any case i think we agree in is completely ineffective as a pct method or even part of one *L*

**MuscleScience** · 12-26-2008, 11:30 PM

Originally Posted by jimmyinkedup

binder:This is true for inflammation but not flushing of lactic acid. Cold would slow the circulatory system which would slow the removal of toxins from the muscles. Heat increases circulation.

Prob meanlingless (def in this thread) and could be debated ....."flushing" wasnt a 100 % accurate term. According to the head trainer of san diego chargers (phd exer phys kines all that bs), " ice reduces inflammation via constriction as we know but it also eliminates lactic acid via the same method.. ...by shocking and constricting muscle cells rapidly it closes them down releasing toxicities including lactic acid...as athletes body returns to normal temp vasodialation occurs the toxins are then evacuated through blood stream."

Anyway ...kinda interesting read and conformed with what i heard inflamation /lactic acid...who know prob 50 theories...in any case i think we agree in is completely ineffective as a pct method or even part of one *L*

Lactic acid is neutralized as soon as it hits the blood. If you restrict blood flow it can not be neutralized. Cryotherapy has some positives but I would not put any of my athletes in an ice cold bath after a workout. Unless they had a full body bruise...LOL

I think sometimes its forgotten that inflammation is a good process for muscle repair and growth. Inflammation is only a problem when its chronic or prolonged for extended periods of time.

**jimmyinkedup** · 12-26-2008, 11:48 PM

^^^ ok ........so i wanna keep it OT ...anyway lactic acid is removed by the kidneys after as much of it as possible is converted to glucose for energy(glucose paradox)....constriction will not cut off blood flow completely ..so who knows...rate of removal with constriction would down but since high stress activity stopped (carb metabolization-which directly effect lactic production) so would rate of production down ...maybe even very rapidly ..i dont know.....do i know if the ice bath theory works re lactic acid - no ...but again ill try and get back on topic ..

Muscle how about my comment re pct im sure you agree so much so that you didnt even feel the need to acknowledge it in your response...however it is the OT of thread....

**MuscleScience** · 12-27-2008, 12:41 AM

Originally Posted by jimmyinkedup

^^^ ok ........so i wanna keep it OT ...anyway lactic acid is removed by the kidneys after as much of it as possible is converted to glucose for energy(glucose paradox)....constriction will not cut off blood flow completely ..so who knows...rate of removal with constriction would down but since high stress activity stopped (carb metabolization-which directly effect lactic production) so would rate of production down ...maybe even very rapidly ..i dont know.....do i know if the ice bath theory works re lactic acid - no ...but again ill try and get back on topic ..

Muscle how about my comment re pct im sure you agree so much so that you didnt even feel the need to acknowledge it in your response...however it is the OT of thread....

There is some physiology behind the idea of cryo-therapy and increasing hormone release. I would be hard pressed to produce any studies that showed an clinically significant increase of T. It seems kinda of silly but who knows maybe someday someone will do a study and show that it works for increasing T. I have been going to school a very long time so I could know a lot about this field, everyday I read something new that I didnt know.

I asked a around about this subject to some buddies of mine that are still involved in the Strength and Conditioning as a career and they all kind of laughed at me about it. There was a review article in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning about current recovery methods that just came out (May 08). The author of the article does research in Cryo-therapy as it turns out. Here is a link that talks a lot about recovery including cryo-therapy.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18438210

BTW, anaerobic metabolism is my thing just in-case I come across as a know it all.

Lactic acid should be more correctly referred to as lactate. Lactate is converted back to pyruvate mostly in the liver (Cori Cycle) . Although almost all cells express Lactate dehydrogenase to some extent.

**bladerunner9** · 12-27-2008, 12:48 AM

Too much Shower in here.

**JiGGaMaN** · 12-27-2008, 01:39 AM

Articles about bodybuilding seem to be particularly prone to bullshit.

**GT2** · 12-27-2008, 01:43 AM

Originally Posted by ShadetreeJones

I've seen fighters and football players take an ice bath after practice or a workout. I believe it aids in the recovery process and speeds it up.

They get into a barrel of ice cold water and submerge to the neck then stay in it for about 2 minutes.

I never understood that. I've read in an article that the warmer you are/stay, the quicker you are able to recover after a workout, as being warm aids in the synthesis of heat-shock proteins.