Men\'s Health UK - 10.2019

16 MEN’S HEALTH

A

WORDS: LOUEE DESSENT-JACKSON | ARTWORK: PETER CROWTHER | *UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, **

MEDICAL HYPOTHESES

†|

THROMBOSIS RESEARCH INSTITUTE

01

ICED

T

02

COOL

REWARDS

CHISEL YOUR

OWN SET OF

ICEPACK ABS

Has your progress slowed

to a glacial pace? Studies

suggest you can stock up on

new muscle in the freezer

SHOCK

TACTICS

Cold feet? These

deep-freeze health

benefits may just

thaw your resolve

LIFTS

FERTILITY

Men who

stopped taking hot

showers had a 491%

boost in sperm count

after six months*.

BRIGHTENS

MOOD

Cold

hydrotherapy can

increase the level

of beta-endorphins

in your bloodstream**.

IMMUNITY

BOOST

The shock

of icy water increases

metabolic rate and

leads to the creation

of white blood cells†.

MUSCLE

NEWSFEED

10/

UNPICK THE TRUTH OF

ICE BATHS TO HAMMER

HOME THE BENEFITS

S

croll through the

Instagram feeds of

the sporting elite

and you’ll notice

ice baths and cryotherapy

chambers have become as

ubiquitous as the rippling

torsos they contain.

However, the link isn’t

what you might think.

Sure, withstanding -150°C

degrees in pants may

boost mental fortitude,

but there’s little hard

evidence to suggest it

speeds up recovery.

Despite the marketing

spiel, the Journal of

Applied Physiology found

whole body cryotherapy

was less effective than a

placebo at curbing muscle

pain in marathon runners.

But, far from skating on

thin ice, researchers have

now identified a solid

benefit to post-workout

chills. When sports

scientists at Swansea

University subjected

athletes to extremely

low temperatures after

an explosive sprint

session, they recorded

a testosterone spike in the

subjects’ saliva lasting 24

hours. Your body clicks

into survival mode when

exposed to potentially

deadly sub-zero

conditions, so it releases

a cocktail of “cold-shock”

proteins to prevent muscle

tissue wasting away. One

side effect is a boost of the

muscle-building hormone

testosterone. In other

words, it’s much more

likely to help your delts

than your DOMS.

We’re not suggesting

you spend a small

fortune on cryotherapy

sessions – a bathtub

and a few packets of

party ice will suffice.

A cold shower or dip

into the plunge pool at

your local leisure centre

will also work. Either

way, you’ll fool your

body into raising your

T-levels. As a cheap trick

for extra muscle, we think

that’s pretty cool.