Health
6 Benefits of ice bath and side effects
Discover the 6 benefits of ice bath and side effects.
Some would never dare to try an ice bath, but some consider ice baths to be a very important part of recovery after exercise.
More and more high-level sports facilities already have specific areas for this practice. So should you incorporate this technique into your exercise routine?
In this article, we will see the benefits of ice baths, for which people it is most suitable, some tips to keep in mind, and its possible side effects.
Benefits of the ice bath
1. Ice baths help the recovery process
After exercising, the body pumps out oxygen and detoxifies itself. Specifically, it removes compounds such as lactic acid, which cause fatigue and pain.
Lactic acid is created after the breakdown of glucose in the body, and the more intense the exercise, the more lactic acid is created.
An ice bath causes blood vessels to constrict, helping the body drain lactic acid. They also reduce swelling. When you get out of the ice water, the blood vessels widen again and let a rush of “fresh” blood through. This blood contains higher levels of oxygen, which can accelerate the recovery of worked muscles.
2. Limits the inflammatory response
Cooling down muscles after exercise can reduce the muscle inflammatory response by causing vasoconstriction, thus limiting the volume of blood flow to the muscles.
Ultimately, this effect can blunt the effects of DOMS, meaning you’re less likely to experience significant muscle soreness and stiffness post-workout.
3. Reduces the effects of heat and humidity
Taking an ice bath before a race in hot and humid conditions can help boost performance.
The human body does not perform at its best when it is too hot or too cold, and this technique helps to lower the body temperature before exercise, thus helping with homeostasis and regulation of body temperature during the race, also helping to improve the performance afterward.
4. Acts as temporary pain relief
The cold of an ice bath can acutely relieve soreness and pain simply by “making the body feel good” by releasing endorphins. This is not a long-term tactic, but it can be of great help if you want acute relief from muscle pain.
5. Boosts metabolism and immune system
The increased metabolism of ice baths is associated with the increased metabolic energy that must be expended to raise and maintain body temperature, and this effect can last long after the bath itself.
There are also studies suggesting that ice baths and cold water therapy can help boost your immune system, although more research is still needed in this area.
6. Helps sleep better
Ice baths help lower body temperature and facilitate the release of melatonin, two factors that contribute to quality sleep. This method can be especially effective during the hotter months to cool down before bed.
How long should an ice bath last for recovery?
Experts suggest that spending about 10 minutes in a tub of cold water should be enough, with about 15 minutes being the limit.
Do not be more than 15 minutes, because the blood vessels shouldn’t be tense for so long. For the ice bath to be effective, it should be taken about 20 minutes after training.
Who should use ice baths?
People who engage in intense workouts regularly can benefit from an ice bath. If you feel fatigued or have muscle weakness, taking an ice bath after you exercise might help.
Athletes who do intense training before a competition or match often find that ice baths can help prevent loss of strength and power before the event.
If you are a casual athlete or train at a low intensity, it is unlikely that you will feel the effects of an ice bath.
Can an ice bath replace a protein shake?
While an ice bath helps the recovery process in terms of detoxification and oxygenation of the muscles, it does not do the same thing as a protein shake.
Protein shakes provide protein to muscles to help gain muscle mass and speed up the repair of micro-tears in muscle tissue. Of course, both things complement each other.
Tips for taking an ice bath
Start gradually
If you think ice baths could help you achieve your goals, but you’re not sure you can handle the cold, you can always increase the intensity progressively.
For starters, you can try taking a cold shower or massaging your muscles with ice for 10-20 minutes after exercise.
When you’re ready to try a proper ice bath, fill a bathtub halfway with cold water. Next, empty about 2-3 large grocery store ice bags.
Don’t submerge your whole body on the first try. You can try submerging your legs or try sitting in the bathtub with water up to your waist. You can try it after an intense leg workout to get the most out of its benefits.
After you have tried several times, gradually submerge your body in the tub until you can stand the water up to your neck. Do not submerge your head at any time.
Time
For maximum benefit, the ice bath should be taken within 20 minutes of exercise. The optimal duration of the bath is 10 minutes, and the time limit underwater is 15 minutes before it begins to be unsafe for health.
skin exposure
Wearing a wetsuit would be redundant because it would keep you insulated from the cold and keep you warm. The skin must be fully exposed to the ice water to take full advantage of the benefits of the ice bath.
Temperature
The optimum temperature for an ice bath is around 10 degrees Celsius, although some sources cite a range of 2 to 16 degrees Celsius as also effective.
Does it have side effects?
Overexposure
Overexposure to ice baths can cause adverse effects such as hypothermia and frostbite, so there is a recommended time limit for this methodology.
Risk for people with high blood pressure
If you have an underlying medical condition, you should consult your doctor before trying things like ice baths.
Some studies suggest that an ice bath can increase blood pressure, which can lead to heart problems in hypertensive people.
However, some studies also suggest that only a modest acute rise in diastolic blood pressure occurs, so the risk should be minimal.
Risk for diabetics
There are times when poor blood circulation is associated with diabetes, so ice baths may not be a very good idea, as they can dangerously limit blood circulation to the extremities. If you suffer from diabetes you should consult your doctor before trying ice baths.
Conclusion
Ice baths can be an effective recovery method, but should not be used to compensate for lack of sleep, diet, or training. They are simply one more tool in our toolbox to improve exercise practice.
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Table of Contents
Discover the 10 health benefits of long bell peppers.
The long peppers may sound unfamiliar to some, but not in the ears of the Javanese. In Java, it is also known as Javanese pepper, with the scientific name of Piper Retrofractum Vahl.
It is considered as a spice and is commonly used for jamu, which is an Indonesian traditional herbal drink, hence its nickname is “cabe jamu” or jamu pepper.
If you want to learn more about long peppers, you are absolutely on the right track! For your information, long peppers grow at a maximum altitude of 600 m with 1,259 mm/year of rain. Anyway, what exactly is a long pepper?
Long peppers are also known as Balinese pepper or Indian pepper, following their original roots in South Asia, particularly India and Sri Lanka.
In India, long peppers are called ‘pippali’. Long peppers have four main functions, especially as a home remedy, cooking ingredient, medicinal herb, and catalyst to enhance the effects of other herbs.
The benefits of Javanese long peppers are somewhat similar to the health benefits of Indian long peppers.
Just as their scientific name suggests, long peppers contain piperine. Piperine is an alkaloid that works as a stimulant for poor blood circulation. Piperine is also found in black pepper and is also responsible for making both of them spicy.
Now here is the main question; Do long peppers have other uses besides being spices and a cooking ingredient? Yes, it does, and here are the health benefits of long pepper.
10 health benefits of long bell peppers
1.- Good for liver ailments
• Liver disease arises from our habit of indulging in unhealthy junk foods.
• At the end of the day, the liver becomes overworked.
• Long bell peppers balance the liver’s workload by removing toxins that have built up in the liver and that have been produced by digesting these types of foods.
• Here are also the best quick way to detox the liver after several years of drinking.
2.- Helps to lose weight
• The long pepper can burn fatty acids similar to other types of pepper without any side effects.
• In fact, it is considered a safer and healthier alternative compared to its clinical counterparts.
3.- Reduces the risk of diabetes
• Like the health benefits of red rice for diabetics, long bell peppers help alleviate diabetes by regulating the rate of glucose released into the blood system.
• Long peppers also stimulate insulin production.
• That is the main reason why long pepper is highly recommended for diabetic patients.
4.- Decreases bacterial infection
• The risk of bacterial infection may incline as the daily temperature increases.
• Unhygienic food, as well as unsterile water, can be prone to bacterial infection, causing an upset stomach.
• Long peppers can be used to counter these occurrences.
5.- Serves as a cough treatment
Long peppers treat a cough by making it a simple remedy. This is how you do it:
Step 1: Take 1 to 2 grams of the spice and fry it with a little ghee. Ghee is a kind of Indian butter.
Step 2: Bring it in while it cools.
If ghee is not available, you can use honey instead.
6.- Relieves indigestion
• The content of long peppers is capable of curing digestive problems.
7.- Decrease fever
• The antiseptic and antiseptic properties of long pepper can reduce fever or relax the throat.
• You can easily reduce a fever by mixing long pepper with a hot bowl of soup.
8.- Relieves toothache
• You can also cure a toothache by making a paste with pepper, salt, and water.
9.- Cure diarrhea
• Diarrhea can be cured by consuming a long pepper soup.
10.- Relieves asthma
• Long peppers are an alternative to relieve occasional asthma attacks and other asthma symptoms.
• However, you should not use it as a substitute for respiratory medicine.
How to use long peppers for traditional cures
About the previous pointers on the health benefits of long pepper, here are the simple recipes to make your long pepper remedy.
1.- To lower the fever
• Step 1 – Prepare 3g of dried long peppers
• Step 2 – Smooth until it reaches its softest state.
• Step 3: Infuse with hot water and consume.
• Despite its hot taste, it is suitable for both children and adults.
2.- It is a cure for toothache
• Step 1 – Prepare 3 long pepper leaves
• Step 2: squash them, but not to their smoothest shape.
• Step 3: prepare it in warm water
• Step 4: Use the gargle formula. Do it regularly until the toothache is completely gone.
3.- To overcome «Masuk Angin»
Masuk angin is an Indonesian term to describe the uneven distribution of gases within the body characterized by cold-like symptoms.
It has no direct translation into English, and no specific knowledge of this ‘disease’, therefore making ‘masuk angin’ is a large loose term. Long peppers can be treated ‘masuk angin’ by following this simple formula:
• Step 1 – Prepare 3g of long peppers, some brown sugar, ginger, and “temulawak” (Curcuma Zanthorrhiza).
• Step 2 – Boil until everything is softened and add warm water.
• Step 3 – Drink that formula while it’s still hot.
4.- Prevents abdominal spasm
• Step 1: Take 3 long pepper leaves and add a glass of water.
• Step 2: Boil both of them fully and let them cool for a while.
• Step 3: consume completely.
5.- Clean the postpartum ovary
• Step 1: Prepare 3 grams of long pepper roots.
• Step 2: Add warm water and bring to a full boil.
• Step 3 – Filter the water when you are done.
• Step 4: Consume the boiled water until done. It is suggested to consume it while it is still hot.
Those are just the healthy creations you can make with long bell peppers. The recipes are not proprietary so you can easily adjust them to better suit your preferences or requirements.
However, it is still highly recommended that you follow exactly what is written above. In addition to the long bell pepper uses listed above, there will be more below, however, the ones below are not specifically categorized by disease.
Generic long pepper recipe
Step 1 – Boil 150cc of water.
• Step 2 – Make it with 4 grams of pepper powder.
• Step 3: Consume while hot to get your maximum benefit.
If there are still long pepper powders left, you can also use them like this:
• Fill it inside the capsules for consumption at any time.
• Apply the powders directly to the affected area for toothache.
• Use it to treat swollen gums.
• In addition to health, long peppers are equally useful for planting and soil fertility.
• Thirty-eight uses of long peppers can be obtained by using them in a “jamu” or a traditional herbal drink, which has the potential to cure practically everything but the insecticide.
• Long pepper does not work with insecticide because it kills the reaction of the insecticide inside the plants.
Those are just the top long pepper health benefits that may sound unfamiliar to you, especially among the youngest these days. Either way, hope it helps!
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