This is what Ashmit Patel’s ‘rest and recovery day’ looks like

Ashmit Patel went for a swim (Source: Ashmit Patel/Instagram Stories)

He continued, “And another five minutes in the steam room.” Great way to sweat out the toxins,” Patel said.

Ashmit on his steam bath recovery (Source: Ashmit Patel/Instagram Stories)

He also shared a glimpse of “another 2 minutes (that’s all that I can manage)” in the cold shower room. “I’m working on building up my resistance slowly but surely…could barely manage 1 minute a month ago,” he said.

Ashmit enjoys a cold shower (Source: Ashmit Patel/Instagram Stories)

Chilled shower, Patel said, helps drain the lactic acid from “my training sessions”.

Ashmit enjoys a steam bath (Source: Ashmit Patel/Instagram Stories)

How does the swimming session followed by a few minutes of steam, and cold showers alternatively or contrast bath therapy help?

Ashmit goes for a cold shower immediately afterward (Source: Ashmit Patel/Instagram Stories)

Body temperature reduction – A steam bath for 20 minutes followed by a cold shower duration of 5 minutes reduces body temperature significantly, said fitness expert Garima Goyal. “This may be due to heat loss from the body through evaporation. When the body is exposed to heat, body temperature rises. Skin warmth receptors and blood convey these changes to the hypothalamic thermostat. The thermostat inhibits the adrenergic activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which controls vasoconstriction and metabolic rate, thus causing cutaneous vasodilation and reducing BMR or basal metabolic rate. This causes an increase in heat loss via the skin and a decrease in heat production in the core,” said Goyal.

According to Goyal, the key to contrast bath therapy is in the rapid changes produced in one’s circulatory system when you go from very warm water to very cold water. “When you submerge part or all of your body in cold water, small blood vessels called capillaries respond to the cold by getting smaller. This is known as vasoconstriction. When you immerse yourself in warm water, the opposite happens. Your blood vessels open up. This is known as vasodilation,” said Goyal.

Goyal also mentioned that studies suggest that different water temperatures also cause changes in how fast your heart beats. “Studies show that cold water causes your heart rate to speed up, while hot water slows it down. When you rapidly alternate between hot water and cold water immersions, your blood vessels open and close in a pulsing, pump-like motion. Some proponents think this pumping action can help relieve various injury symptoms,” said Goyal.

The expert added that this therapy helps alleviate muscle soreness. “Intense exercise causes damage to your muscle fibers. But you might not feel sore until a day or so later. This is called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). The contrast bath therapy improved both the soreness and weakness better than passive resting alone,” Goyal.

Concurring with Patel, Goyal said that it eases lactic acid buildup. “Contrast bath therapy can also help decrease the lactic acid in your body, helping you recover from the soreness and fatigue of strenuous exercise as well as reducing swelling.

Contraindications

The primary risk of contrast bath therapy is that you could damage your skin if the water temperature is either too hot or too cold. It could also cause heart arrhythmia, Goyal cautioned. “Contrast bath therapy isn’t safe for every condition. It’s important to talk to your doctor or healthcare provider before you try to contrast hydrotherapy, especially if you’re thinking of immersing most of your body. This is especially important if you have open wounds, heart issues, high blood pressure, and deep vein thrombosis,” Goyal said.

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