Contrast therapy: the hot and cold of it

Contrast therapy – the hot and cold of it

Contrast therapy is a centuries-old tradition, today regularly practised by elite athletes and Wimhof fans. It originally dates back to primitive men and women who used different temperatures to maintain their health and vigour. They were the original believers of contrast therapy. Contrast therapy boosts the immune system, improves circulation, reduces stress, relieves muscle soreness, reduces inflammation and much more.

How does Contrast Therapy work?

Contrast Therapy works on the concept of vasodilation and vasoconstriction when you alternate between cold and hot or hot and cold.

Vasodilation occurs when the body becomes warm. It is the widening of blood vessels due to the relaxation of the blood vessel’s muscular walls. Vasodilation is a mechanism to enhance blood flow to areas of the body lacking oxygen or nutrients.

Vasoconstriction occurs during immersion in the cold. It is the narrowing (constriction) of blood vessels by small muscles in their walls. This narrowing slows circulation, reducing inflammation, muscle spasm, and pain.

The combination of hot and cold stimulates your lymphatic system, enhancing your performance, wellbeing, and improving your overall immune response.

Contrast therapy combines the key benefits of cold water therapy and heat, in the case of Altus, the heat of the infrared sauna.

Benefits of Infrared Saunas

Infrared saunas offer a range of benefits, including improved cardiorespiratory fitness, detoxification and elevation of endorphins, resulting in a huge mood boost.

Studies show that short periods of elevated body temperature (hyperthermia) can be an antidepressant. Scientists?proved that one single session?of hyperthermia resulted in an antidepressant effect that lasted six weeks.

Studies also show that infrared saunas optimise the production and reception of natural antidepressants in our brain (dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin). They also lower the cortisol level in the body – the chemical associated with stress and tension. Prolonged and chronic stress can cause the same changes in the brain found in those with anxiety and depression. So minimising cortisol is essential (although a certain level is considered necessary and healthy). In an infrared sauna, your body goes into a ‘rest and digest’ state, allowing your body to heal and naturally lowering cortisol levels.

Benefits of cold water therapy

When you immerse yourself in cold water, you get a fresh jolt of adrenaline. It revs up the dopamine in your brain, making you feel amazing.

Immersion in cold water supercharges your immune system, increasing white blood cell counts, which attack unwelcome bacteria and viruses.

It also increases glutathione levels, the body’s master antioxidant, increasing the detoxification from the infrared sauna. Glutathione helps protect the cells from oxidative damage and helps with several vital functions.

A significant element of cold water therapy is the impact the cold water has on the vagus nerve. This nerve connects the brain with all organs and controls your parasympathetic nervous system. It turns off the sympathetic state (fight or flight) in cold water and turns on parasympathetic mode or ‘rest and digest.’ This parasympathetic state slows down breathing and heart rate.

Immersion in cold water also increases the production of mood-elevating hormones and neurotransmitters (beta-endorphins, noradrenaline and dopamine, serotonin.) These neurotransmitters are vital to keeping us happy, and low levels can cause depression. If you combine this with the endorphin rush you get from cold water immersion, you can see why so many people become addicted to cold water therapy.

But why contrast?

You maximise the infrared effect when you go from intense infrared heat to cold water. Think of it as a supercharged boost to your body and mental wellbeing. But the best way to discover why is to try it. What have you got to lose? Nothing, just a whole lot of health, wellbeing and peak performance benefits to gain.

For further information on our Contrast Therapy see here - https://thealtuslife.co.uk/contrast-therapy/