Being able to take a shower immediately after exercise will make people feel comfortable, but should you take a hot or cold shower just after exercise? In fact, both have advantages, but the effects are completely different. The key is whether you need to deal with current physical conditions or subsequent sports needs.

The benefits of cold showers: quick dissipation, lightening muscle pain

Often we sweat heavily after exercise, and sometimes we have pain all over the body. If we can take a shower right away, it will be much more comfortable. But the problem has come. After the exercise, is it better to take a hot shower or a cold shower? Let’s take a look at your body’s condition first! If muscle pain, such as "iron legs (depending muscle pain, DOMS), then your body needs to be repaired quickly. Many studies have shown that taking a cold shower after exercise can help reduce muscle pain and fatigue. Because cold water can reduce the accumulation of lactic acid and creatine kinase in the muscles and reduce the occurrence of delayed muscle aches.

In addition, cold showers may also bring the following benefits:

. Promote blood circulation: Cold water stimulates blood vessels to shrink, blood concentrates in the core organs, and recovers faster after exercise.

. Improve the spirit: The impact of cold water will start the police response and make the brain more awake.

. Relieve pain: Like the effect of ice, it can relieve muscle aches or local inappropriateness.

. Strengthen immunity: Cold showers may train the immune system by stimulating pressure response, making the body more resistant.

. Helps burning heat: Cold water can start brown fat production and improve short-term weight loss rate, but the weight reduction effect is limited.

Cold showers are not suitable for everyone

However, cold showers are not suitable for everyone. If you have cardiovascular disease, hypertension, colds, drinking alcohol or eating, it is recommended to take a cold shower to avoid violent swelling of blood pressure or inducing your heart to get into trouble. Especially in cold currents, excessive cold water temperature is more likely to cause acute myocardial infarction. Experts suggest: try appropriately in summer, be cautious in winter, and move forward step by step to avoid sudden large amounts of cold water storm.

Benefits of hot baths: relaxing muscles and improving sports performance

, and the effect of taking a hot bath is different from that of cold baths. Research points out that a hot bath may even make you perform better on the same day or the next day, increasing blood flow when your body is soaked in about 40°C, which helps relax tight muscles and enhance subsequent sports performance.

So, if you still have a match the next day, or need to undergo multiple training sessions within a day, choosing a hot shower may be more suitable than a cold shower.

In addition to this, hot baths also have the following benefits:

. Relieve pressure and anxiety, bringing psychological relaxation effects.

. Reduce muscle stiffness and help blood circulation.

. Improve sleep quality and promote muscle repair indirectly.

However, be careful that when taking a hot bath, be careful not to be too high, otherwise it may cause dry skin, lower blood pressure or increase heartburn.

Should I choose a hot or cold shower?

In other words, it is OK to take a hot shower or a cold shower after exercise. It is mainly adjusted according to your sports goals and physical condition. There is no absolute best choice. It depends on which one that best meets your needs.

Want to quickly eliminate muscle pain → Cold bath

Want to improve the next day's performance or relax → Hot bath

Single pure want to refresh your mind → Cold bath

Single pure purely want to relax → The relaxation and movement after exercise are very important. Whether it is to take hot water or cold shower, it is actually just a helper. Don’t forget to replenish moisture and electrolysis, massage to relax muscles, replenish protein and sleep enough to help muscle repair. Only by doing these things together can you achieve the most effective recovery.

More importantly, don't rush to end after exercise. Do some low-strength movements to calm down and cool down, which can prevent the heartbeat and blood flow from dramatically changing, and also make the body's wastes more smoothly through stretching activities.

Taiwan Rehabilitation Medical Association Chairman Cai Wen-wong was reminded that many sports injuries are caused by lack of warming before exercise and cooling after exercise, that is, if you forget to heat yourself before exercise, and don’t do any sluggishness after exercise, it will not only make you feel sore muscles, but also the violent ups and downs of blood flow and muscle contraction function may also increase heart burden.

Therefore, don't forget to do a few minutes of low-strength activities after exercise, as it will not cause "iron legs" or cause physical damage.