Hot Water Immersion & The Perfect Mile
Hot water immersion can be a powerful recovery tool. In the study covered in this episode, it supported muscle recovery favorably compared with cold water immersion—part of a growing body of evidence that heat benefits the body. Jerred and Ashley break down what that means and how to use heat to recover.
Key Takeaways
- The episode covers a study comparing hot vs. cold water immersion for recovery, with hot water immersion coming out favorably for muscle recovery.
- Heat is increasingly shown to be beneficial for the body's recovery.
- The episode also features a book review of The Perfect Mile by Neal Bascomb (highly recommended).
- The Meet Yourself Saturday workout, Heavy Load Long Distance, emphasizes heavy carries and the mental side of training.
Episode 141 of The Garage Gym Athlete Podcast is up!
Hot Water Immersion & The Perfect Mile
This week we have Jerred and Ashley bringing the heat. By heat, we mean hot water immersion! The two coaches break down a study about how hot water immersion can help with recovery better than cold water immersion! This one is interesting and science continues to show how heat is beneficial to our bodies! The topic is a book review on a book called The Perfect Mile by Neal Bascomb. The whole team really enjoyed this book and as you can tell from the barbell rating, highly recommend you go and read it! This week's Meet Yourself Saturday workout is called Heavy Load Long Distance. Jerred and Ashley talk about the mental side of this one and how to tackle it!
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IN THIS 66-MINUTE EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
- Hot Water Immersion
- The Perfect Mile
- Why Heavy Carries Should Be In Your Training
- Mental Toughness
- Heavy Load Long Distance
- Tips For MYS
- Updates and Announcements
- And A LOT MORE!!
Diving Deeper…
If you want to go a little bit deeper on this episode, here are some links for you:
Study of the Week
Garage Gym Athlete Workout of the Week
Be sure to listen to this week’s episode:
What the research says
The Study of the Week is a randomised cross-over study examining the short-term effects of two different recovery strategies on muscle contractile properties in healthy active men. As discussed on the episode, the comparison suggests hot water immersion can aid muscle recovery favorably relative to cold water immersion. It's one study in a single population, so treat it as part of the bigger picture rather than the final word—but it fits the broader trend that heat exposure can be a useful recovery tool.
How to use heat for recovery
Hot water immersion simply means submerging the body (or specific muscles) in warm water to support recovery after hard training. As the coaches note, it can be a practical alternative to the cold plunge, especially if cold exposure isn't your thing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is hot water immersion better than cold water immersion for recovery?
In the study discussed on this episode, hot water immersion supported muscle recovery favorably compared with cold water immersion. Individual results vary, but the coaches point out that heat is increasingly shown to benefit recovery.
What is hot water immersion?
It's a recovery strategy that involves submerging the body or specific muscles in hot water to help muscles recover after exercise.
What workout is featured in this episode?
Heavy Load Long Distance, a Meet Yourself Saturday workout built around heavy carries and mental toughness.
Related reading from Garage Gym Athlete
- Is Cold Immersion The BEST For Recovery?
- Strength Recovery Differences In Male & Females
- Why Breaks From Training INCREASE Your Gains
Want recovery built into smart, science-backed programming? Check out the Garage Gym Athlete membership.
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Thanks for listening to the podcast, and if you have any questions be sure to add it to the comments below!
To becoming better!
Jerred
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