Does Taking Cold Showers Really Keep Your Muscles Hard?

[Kenji4861]

My friend is a little weight training/supplement guy and he says.. taking a cold shower after working out keeps your muscles hard. He also mentioned some professional body builders do this as well.. How does this work? Is it something to try out?

I don't if this fits in.. but when you think about it.. people in hot areas, Asia - are skinny.. is it because their area is hot?

If we stay in a cold area.. does it help to get bigger?

 

[5489]

not sure, but i'd like to know as well


im not sure if i'll do it, i cant stand cold showers

 

[WinkOsmosis]

It makes your nipples hard....

 

[Blieb]

"Keep your muscles hard" ...

If you think about it ... when you take a really HOT shower, your *ahem* ... fellas, relax, and move away from the body, to keep a certain temperature ... you know, so the swimmers swim and such ...

SO ... when it's cold, the fellas pull in for body warmth.

I would assume the same may be said for the rest of the body, that your body kind of "pulls itself together" because it is cooler, and needs to maintain temperature levels.

Disclaimer: I ain't no docta!

 

[Sealy]

The only thing water temperature would do would be to tense or relax your muscles, not change their size. As for the cold vs. hot climates...I think it really depends which country. If its a poor hot country then they are probably just not eating well therefore not gaining mass. It would be the same in a cold poor country. If people are bigger in colder places it's probably more to do with fat storage not muscles. If you want big muscles you have to lift weights...not if ands or buts about it!

I did absolutely no research on any of the above, so take it with a grain of thought!

 

[Tominator]

There are more 'old wive tales' told by so-called fitness experts that were ever told by the old wives!

 

[isildur]

no kidding on the "old wives tales"

the only one that I've heard that made sense had to do with shivering - the idea being that you can use cold air/water to "induce" shivering, which gets the muscles twitching - both burning calories and energizing the muscle tissue.

<shrug>

somewhat reasonable, but still sketchy

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: Kenji4861
My friend is a little weight training/supplement guy and he says.. taking a cold shower after working out keeps your muscles hard. He also mentioned some professional body builders do this as well.. How does this work? Is it something to try out?

In short, no. It will just make you cold.

I don't if this fits in.. but when you think about it.. people in hot areas, Asia - are skinny.. is it because their area is hot?

If we stay in a cold area.. does it help to get bigger?

Nope....might make you more likely to retain fat on your body tho. Not exactly what you're after as a bodybuilder.

 

[PG]

Most of those bodybuilders are morons and you shouldn't listen to them.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Cold showers sure doesn't keep the most important muscle hard. :Q

(Yes, I know it's not a muscle.)

- M4H

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Tominator
There are more 'old wive tales' told by so-called fitness experts that were ever told by the old wives!

Amen. If it sounds like BS it's BS.

 

[Amused]

The first 24-48 hours after lifting is recovery time. THIS is the time in which gains are made, but ONLY if the muscle has the ability to recover and grow properly.

If you muck with this recovery time by shocking your muscles and shivering in cold showers, you will disrupt the recovery. Your gains will be interrupted, and lessened.

In short, you don't want to do anything that will strain or shock your muscles after a workout.

Most people seem to think gains are made while lifting. Nope, you're actually breaking down the muscles when you lift by causing tiny tears in the muscle fibers. It's the 48 hours AFTER lifting in which gains are made... when the muscle repair themselves and add new muscle in response to the lifting.

The only good I can see about a cold shower is for someone who wants to look like they just lifted. Shivering sends blood to the muscles and "pumps them up." This will give you a brief period of looking like you just lifted, but wont have any real long term effect.

All my showers are luke warm. Hot if I'm sore. Cool if I'm trying to speed up a cool down after running so I can get dressed and go.

 

[MichaelD]

Actually, it keeps muscles from getting hard. There's on in particular that gets extrememly affected.

 

[Flaredair]

NO, NO & NO

 

[vi edit]

When I ran cross country, we'd ice down our legs - stand in a 55 gallon barrel full of ice and water - for 15 minutes after an extremely hard workout.

Supposed to help force the lactic acid out of your muscles and aid in recovery.

 

[Mrburns2007]

Originally posted by: Kenji4861
My friend is a little weight training/supplement guy and he says.. taking a cold shower after working out keeps your muscles hard. He also mentioned some professional body builders do this as well.. How does this work? Is it something to try out?

I don't if this fits in.. but when you think about it.. people in hot areas, Asia - are skinny.. is it because their area is hot?

If we stay in a cold area.. does it help to get bigger?

No....just take a normal warm shower.....a cold shower could lead to pulled muscles.

 

[heartsurgeon]

Does Taking Cold Showers Really Keep Your Muscles Hard?

no.