Alternating Cold and Hot in the Shower
“Contrast water therapy,” or alternating between cold water and hot water, has been shown to increase muscle recovery times (by decreasing blood lactate concentration) and reduce injury. It appears to be just as effective as cold water immersion, and has shown some ability to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness.
Constricting and dilating blood vessels over and over is thought to flush out waste products in the tissues whiling driving oxygen and nutrients to your internal organs.
This appears to positively affect the immune system and inflammation process as well—acting like a pump for the the lymph system which contracts in the cold, and relaxes in the heat.
How Contrast Water Therapy Works
The hot water:
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Causes your blood to rush away from your internal organs and towards your skin (causes vasodilation of the blood flow in the limb or body)
The cold water:
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Cold water causes the blood to rush away from your skin to keep your internal organs safe and warm (causes vasoconstriction, increasing local blood circulation)
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Cold water decreases inflammation and muscle tears
How to Do It
Alternate between cold and hot in your workouts. Some experts recommend 2 minutes of hot water with 30 seconds of cold water, repeated four times. We recommend finding out what works best for you.