I’ve been learning a lot lately about Heat Therapy and Cold Therapy benefits for longevity. However, today I came across 2 different articles with interesting findings as it relates to post-exercise impacts…
If you are interested in maximizing hypertrophy (muscle growth & toning), these studies indicate benefits to post-exercise heat treatments:
https://www.menshealth.com/health/a38071136/sauna-benefits/
whereas this article recommends avoiding post-exercise cold treatments (i.e. cold showers, ice baths, cold water immersion):
https://sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/301
Of course, Cold therapy is likely beneficial for longevity, but if you’re trying to maximize muscle development try to wait at least a few hours after exercise before doing it.