WENDY WINN, FOUNDER OF CUSTOM PERFORMANCE
First, let me disclaim: there are no miracle cures for athletes (that we know of), here at Custom Performance or anywhere. All of our tools are meant to be aids in recovery and performance, based on medical science. Here are the facts on the ColdTub:
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“Coldwater immersion (CWI) induces significant physiological and biochemical changes in the body such as an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, metabolism, and peripheral catecholamine concentration; and decrease in brain blood flow.” *Please do not enter the ColdTub if you have high blood pressure or heart problems for this reason!
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“CWI <15°C is one of the most popular interventions used after exercise, which significantly lowered ratings of fatigue and potentially improved ratings of physical recovery immediately after immersion with a reduction in delayed onset muscle soreness at 24, 48, 72, and 96-hour follow-ups after exercise compared with passive interventions involving rest or no intervention.” *We set ours to 50 degrees F (15 C=59 F). Please note this is a “rating of recovery” which is a person’s perception, but still a great finding!
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“Cold exposure activates the sympathetic nervous system; increases blood levels of beta-endorphin and noradrenaline; and increases the synaptic release of noradrenaline in the brain. Antidepressive effects of cold showers have been attributed to the presence of a high density of cold receptors in skin expected to send an overwhelming amount of electrical impulses from peripheral nerve endings to the brain. It has significant analgesic effects and it does not cause dependence or noticeable side effects.” *Yay for anti-depressive effects!
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“Reduced perception of fatigue after the training session was the principal effect of CWI because Cold Exposure increases opioid tone, which could diminish fatigue by reducing muscle pain and accelerating recovery of fatigued muscle, respectively, which can improve training and competitions in young soccer players.” *Yes to natural opioids and decreased perception of fatigue!
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“Cold stress-induced analgesia might be mediated by increased production of opioid peptide beta-endorphin (an endogenous pain-killer)” *Pain management 101
Come in and try our ColdTub today!
N Am J Med Sci. 2014 May; 6(5): 199–209.Scientific Evidence-Based Effects of Hydrotherapy on Various Systems of the Body. A Mooventhan L Nivethitha