You're Hot then You're Cold! Benefits of Training with Heat and Cold.

I had a friend ask me last week, "do you burn more calories when you're working out in the heat?" Like everything related to exercise physiology, that's not an easy question to answer. Our bodies are extremely complex, and work well to keep our internal temperatures regulated all the time. If that process actually does burn more calories, I'd never given it much thought.

Why not you ask? Well, the simple answer is that there are other benefits outside a higher calorie burn that warrant the use of training with heat and cold! Check out these tips (taken from a recent ACE Fitness Article and other sources).

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First Up, Benefits of Training with Heat
You can get these benefits from exercising in the heat, or with regular sauna use after your exercise!

• Increased Plasma Volume - That means better oxygen uptake, or increased V02Max! You know, the sort of thing cyclists are looking for with EPO...okay, to be fair, don't expect the same results, but research has shown plasma volume can increase by 5%-15%. That's pretty dope!
• Increased Nitric Oxcide - Nitric Oxcide is what's called a vasodilator. We're talking about naturally boosting it, but It's the same stuff that's in the "pre-workout" formulas that I'll sometimes take (I've used NOExplode before, but have recently been a fan of the Beachbody Performance formula). Nictric Oxcide dilates your blood vessels and increases blood flow to the heart. This can help keep your hear rate lower. It also helps deliver nutrients to the muscles faster, possibly allowing for increased muscle growth and recovery.
• Increased Heat Shock Proteins - According to the the ACE article, these proteins can help scavenge free radicals in the body, and help increase protein synthesis.

​Second, Benefits of Training with Cold
I remember the first time I saw a cold water immersion tub in a gym. I thought, "no f'n" way! Recently though, cold water immersion and cryochambers have become popular. Whim Hoff has some awesome programs related to this type of training, and a simple google search on the topic will keep you occupied for hours.

• Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness - Again, according to ACE, research shows that cold water immersion after your workout is successful in mitigating the effects associated with the onset of muscle soreness. This means faster recovery times!
• Reduced Inflammation and Analgesic Effect - Studies have shown that cold water immersion can help to reduce inflammation. This can also mean shorter recoveries, and a better feeling int the body overall.
• Promote Cold Thermogenisis (CT) - CT may help your body burn fat faster, boost performance, and build cardiovascular endurance. I can't get into all the details of CT in the blog, but check out Ben Greenfield's research on the topic. There's a lot of great info here, and even a podcast you can listen to! ​Click Here

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