A healthy lifestyle is currently an extremely popular behavior model. At the same time, people, as a rule, do not give up alcoholic beverages and smoking, but at the same time carefully visit the gym.
After exercising “in the rocking chair”, a self-evident exercise is a visit to the sauna or bathhouse. It is believed that this is useful, and generally pleasant. However, what does science say about this and what contraindications are there?
Should you go to the bathhouse (sauna) after training?
Looking at a person who has visited the sauna, it is impossible not to envy him: the pores of the skin have opened, the covering of the human body is free of toxins and looks rejuvenated. And the person himself feels tired, but satisfied - the body experiences healthy relaxation.
However, visiting a sauna immediately after heavy physical activity is, from a safety point of view, a controversial issue. And the main reason is the individual state of health and the body’s readiness for deep changes in external temperature.
In other words, for some, a bath, especially after a hard workout that includes basic exercises (squats with a barbell, deadlift, bench press), may be contraindicated due to insufficient health of the cardiovascular system (this is only one of the factors). But if your reaction to the sauna is generally normal, then visiting it immediately after strenuous physical activity, and especially if you are new to the gym, is not only a useful idea, but is, in fact, the only means of relieving painful sensations from the so-called muscle strain (so as not to experience unbearable discomfort the next day). However, first things first.{banner_st-d-2}
Pros, cons and controversial issues of a post-workout bath
Positive factors
What undoubted positive aspects can be identified from visiting the sauna after physical activity in the gym?
There is almost a doubling of the intensity of renewal of muscle fibers, due to the fact that their blood supply (and, in general, the general blood circulation in the body) increases.
Blood vessels receive two different types of stimulation: first, you force them to dilate due to the fact that you are straining on exercise machines, and in the sauna they dilate due to the need for faster blood circulation. As a result, their walls become healthier and gain elasticity.
From a chemical point of view, a sauna after the gym removes lactic acid from the body, the lactate of which is the cause of muscle pain the next day. The destructive hormone cortisol is neutralized. And in addition, endorphins are released into the body, thanks to which such wonderful bliss is observed after the sauna.
Warming up the body in a sauna has a constructive effect on the process of getting rid of subcutaneous fat - high temperature and accelerated metabolism stimulate the removal of excess fat from the body.
PURPOSES OF PROCESSING PERSONAL DATA
13. The operator processes personal data for the following purposes:
1. for the execution of an agreement to which the subject of personal data is a party or beneficiary or guarantor;
2. to conclude an agreement on the initiative of the subject of personal data or an agreement under which the subject of personal data will be a beneficiary or guarantor;
3. to process incoming requests from individuals for the purpose of providing information services;
4. to achieve the goals provided for by an international treaty of the Russian Federation or law, to implement and fulfill the functions, powers and responsibilities assigned by the legislation of the Russian Federation to the Operator;
5. to promote the Operator’s goods, works, and services on the market by making direct contacts with the subject of personal data using communication means.
Negative factors of a sauna
Disadvantages of baths after training But every effect on the body also has a downside. In what cases is it better to refuse to visit the steam room after training?
First of all, for hypertensive patients. A temperature change after exercise can cause a jump in blood pressure. It's better to abstain.
Skin problems are also a reason to avoid the sauna (especially if we are talking about eczema or increased oiliness).
An increased feeling of thirst is a direct contraindication for heating your body (despite the fact that thirst is not caused by any diseases). Not only does moisture come out along with sweat during training, but its remnants are supposed to literally evaporate! Better not.
And, of course, you should follow the “safety rules” - do not do obvious harmful things:
- women - do not visit the sauna while pregnant;
- for everyone - do not go to the bathhouse after exercising beyond the norm (if the workout was unusually hard or lasted more than 45 minutes).{banner_st-d-1}
LEGAL BASIS FOR PROCESSING PERSONAL DATA
14. The legal basis for the processing of personal data is:
1. Legislation of the Russian Federation in the field of personal data based on the Constitution of the Russian Federation and international treaties of the Russian Federation and consisting of Federal Law of July 27, 2006 No. 152-FZ “On Personal Data” and other federal laws defining cases and features of the processing of personal data ;
2. consent to the processing of personal data, the conditions of which are confirmed by the subject of personal data when working with the feedback form on the Operator’s website;
3. civil contracts concluded by the Operator with counterparties, annexes to these contracts.
Controversial issues
The controversial benefits of visiting a sauna after a workout are expressed in its dual effect on the body.
after a workout, a sauna is controversial. On the one hand, fats are actually removed from the body more intensively, and a person after a sauna can actually lose up to 300 calories. But along with fat, moisture is also removed, which threatens dehydration (stress on the kidneys and other undesirable consequences).
Here you need to listen to your body: if in the sauna after sports activities you feel better than without it, and do not experience unbearable thirst, then the sauna will be useful for you. If the impressions from the procedure are rather negative, then you should abstain from the sauna after training.
Types of water procedures and their effect on the body
Every time after an intense workout, athletes take steps to quickly recover from stress. They drink or don't drink water, close the carbohydrate window, or drink protein shakes. One of the controversial measures of influence, which, according to reviews, gives the most significant results, is considered by many to be a sauna or bathhouse.
When figuring out how to properly go to the sauna after training and whether to visit it at all, you need to understand that the opinions of doctors can be fundamentally different from the judgments of coaches or ordinary athletes. Therefore, it is very important to find out all the pros and cons of such a procedure, compare them with your own health status, as well as possible consequences. That is, it is better not to conduct such experiments without going to the doctor, so as not to develop complications that could have been avoided.
Brief Comparative Review
To understand how a sauna affects an athlete’s body after a workout, it doesn’t hurt to know that it can be not only one standard, familiar type. Currently, there are more than ten types of baths with different types of heating.
Russian bath (Turkish, wet sauna, bath with brooms)
This type is characterized by the presence of moist, hot steam that fills the entire room. This steam forms fog, the usual temperature of which reaches 42-55°C. The steam room itself is equipped with special shelves or sun loungers placed at different heights. Depending on the tolerance of the steam temperature, you can start from the lowest, where it is cool, to the highest, where it is hottest.
After a Russian bath with steaming and brooms, you can cool down using different methods. The most popular thing in the old days was diving into an ice hole or simply into a lake according to the season. Now many people are also into this kind of thing, dousing themselves with cold water or rubbing themselves with snow.
Dry sauna (Finnish, Roman, hammam, electric version)
This category of baths includes all types that involve dry rather than wet steam. At the same time, the temperature inside the room can reach a record 75-90°C. The humidity in these baths usually does not exceed fifteen percent, which is quite low. There are options that are heated using electric heating elements.
These baths are also equipped with benches and beds at different heights. On the top shelves the temperature can reach 100°C, so you need a lot of preparation to avoid getting burned. During the procedure, it is also customary to lightly pat the skin with a broom or rub it with a hard mitten made of coarse fabric or a special washcloth. Cooling can also be done using cold water or air.
Infrared bath
A relatively new invention, which is not available in every Russian city. The principle of operation of such a sauna is designed to ensure that infrared heaters, which are installed in a room lined with wood, warm not the walls or the air, but the human body itself.
This device is characterized by a lower temperature regime than the previous version. The maximum limit for safety is usually set at 45-50°C. With the help of such heating, maximum muscle relaxation is achieved, as well as significant benefits for weight loss. It is believed that such a bath will help in getting rid of cellulite, because the rays penetrate 2-4 centimeters under the deep layers of the skin. Therefore, the benefits of an infrared sauna after a workout are considered proven.
Impact on humans
A sauna is a place where you can significantly increase your body temperature, without the use of any chemicals. In this case, profuse sweating occurs. In ordinary life, people are accustomed to avoiding excess sweat, but it performs two very important functions: emergency temperature relief and removal of toxins accumulated in the body (mainly in the lipid layer). There are two types of sweat glands.
- Eccrine . They are activated by heat, as well as stress and emotional turmoil. There are more than two thousand of them in the body of each person. These glands secrete watery sweat, which, evaporating from the surface of the skin, cools it qualitatively.
- Apocrine . These glands secrete sweat containing large amounts of fats and other organic compounds. Bacteria located on the surface of the skin readily interact with this liquid, which produces an unpleasant odor. They are located in the pubic, axillary area, as well as on the scalp. During puberty, it is these glands that emit pheromones designed to attract the opposite sex.
The Institute of Physiology of the United States of America conducted a number of studies, during which it was proven that the growth of muscle mass after a sauna session slows down quite significantly, by 20-30%.
Going to the sauna - how to prepare?
Before entering the steam room, take a break after physical activity for at least 5 minutes.
You can combine this break with a shower - stand under warm water. There is no need to use soap - it will remove the protective layer of fat from the skin (at high temperatures this can injure the skin).
And finally, the main “commandment”:
Never enter the steam room while intoxicated. Beer is good only after visiting the sauna, but not before and not on time!
Going to the sauna before training?
Definitely not! And the reasons here are obvious:
- After warming up, the muscles relax, which does not fit in with subsequent physical activity.
- The release of endorphin (the pleasure hormone) will be in vain if you continue to strain yourself.
- Finally, what are you going to do with lactic acid in your muscles?
- To maintain health and increase positive emotions from playing sports, it is strongly recommended not to change the order (sequence) of procedures.
- First the barbell, then the steam room - that’s the only way!
