Equipment

Contrast Therapy Pools

Combine the use of both hot and cold water immersions to stimulate the body’s natural healing processes.

Contrast therapy, also known as hot-cold therapy, involves switching between hot and cold temperatures to create a pumping effect on our blood vessels. These changes in blood flow across a contrast therapy session work to improve blood flow and nutrient delivery throughout the body, reduce stress, strengthen the immune system, enhance body composition, elevate cardiovascular fitness, and improve mood, attention, and mental clarity.

Available at: Sunshine coast, Brisbane

$25

for 20 min total

Benefits of Contrast Therapy Pools

The alternating cycles of hot and cold offered by a contrast therapy protocol create a pumping action in the blood and muscles (similar to that produced by a low-intensity workout), whereby oxygen and nutrients are better able to reach the tissues within the body. Combining both hot and cold water immersions has the benefits of reducing swelling and inflammation, improving energy and focus and encouraging relaxation and stress reduction

Mitigate Inflammation and Boost Muscle Recovery

During exercise, the accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles can lead to post-exercise muscle soreness.

Coldwater immersion has demonstrated its efficacy in relieving exercise-induced muscle damage. Additionally, contrast bath therapy, as a comprehensive approach, significantly contributes to the alleviation of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), often experienced a day after intense training. This holistic therapy actively supports the body’s recovery.

Studies conducted with endurance athletes revealed that exposure to cold reduced the typical inflammatory response, supported the anti-inflammatory reaction, and promoted enhanced muscle recovery.

Enhance Mental Clarity and Concentration

One of the profound physiological responses to cold exposure is a substantial increase in norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter that influences mood, attention, and various cognitive functions. Regular enthusiasts of ice baths often report heightened mental composure and increased vitality. When coupled with heat therapy, these practices can exert enduring positive effects on the nervous system.

Current scientific evidence suggests that the specific breathing (box breathing) techniques employed during cold water immersions help regulate the nervous system. These techniques aid in concentration and prove highly beneficial when employed during stressful situations to alleviate anxiety.

Accumulated Benefits with Consistent Use

Consistent exposure to cold stimuli through regular training has the potential to diminish stress, enhance resilience, and reshape your cognitive response to discomfort. Merely 57 minutes of heat, coupled with 11 minutes of cold exposure per week, can yield significant benefits.

Scientific evidence suggests that this regimen not only enhances blood flow and blood pressure but also proves beneficial for individuals with cardiovascular conditions.

Enhanced Range of Motion

The therapy’s heat can diminish muscle soreness and improve range of motion by targeting the reduction of inflammation in both joints and the body’s soft tissues.

Eases Pain and Reduces Swelling

Warm water temperatures are renowned for their relaxing impact on both the body and mind. Consequently, immersing oneself in hot water can contribute to a decreased sensation of pain by relieving tension in the body.

In contrast, cold temperatures are more associated with diminishing swelling, thereby aiding in pain relief through the reduction of swelling and promoting an improved range of motion.

Eliminates Excessive Metabolites

Subjecting the entire body to varying temperatures in contrast hydrotherapy is a widely adopted recovery method among elite athletes aiming for enhanced post-exercise recovery.

Intense physical activity leads to the accumulation of metabolites in the body, a natural but also fatiguing occurrence that causes soreness. The pumping action of blood vessels induced by contrast bath therapy can boost the body’s capacity to expel metabolites and other toxins, potentially contributing to muscle growth and recovery.

Pro tip

If strength and size are your primary training goals, research suggests that you should refrain from using cold exposure to aid recovery by at least 4-6 hours after training. This is because cold exposure will blunt the muscular adaptions following strength training necessary for muscle growth.

Try one of our Contrast Therapy Pools protocols

We have combined Contrast Therapy Pools with other equipment into specialized health protocols

Refresh

40 mins

$39

Sauna: 20 min
Contrast therapy: 20 min
Cold exposure: 3

The initial increase in body temperature in the sauna encourages the body to cool itself down through increasing blood flow and heart rate, contributing to cardiovascular conditioning, similar to the effects of moderate exercise. In combination with the traditional sauna, the contrast pools work to constrict (in the cold) and then dilate (in the hot) the blood vessels, creating a pumping like mechanism. These changes in blood flow over a contrast session, stimulates neurogenesis, increases endorphins levels, reduces inflammation, and accelerates muscle recovery.

Nomad

50 mins

$39

Compression: 30 min
Contrast therapy: 20 min

During a 30-minute session in our compression devices, the pulse technology mimics a lymphatic massage optimising lymphatic function to remove built-up waste, reducing muscle soreness and inflammation. Followed by hot and cold pools triggering blood vessel constriction and dilation, enhancing blood flow, reducing inflammation, and aiding muscle recovery.

Nordic

60 mins

$44

Sauna: 20 min
Contrast therapy: 10 min
Steam room: 20 min
Cold exposure: 1

By actively engaging the body’s thermoregulatory system through a sequence of both hot and cold therapies the nordic will work to improve your circulation, reduce stress and enhance muscle recovery.

Recover

40 mins

$39

Steam room: 20 min
Contrast therapy: 20 min

During this protocol, begin by relaxing your muscles and mind in the warm and humid environment of the steam room that will work to improve blood flow, reduce inflammation and help you relax and recover. Pair this with the rejuvenating and energising benefits of both contrast therapy and compression which work in combination to alleviate muscle soreness, reduce inflammation, boost blood flow, and foster relaxation – all crucial elements for enhancing overall recovery.

Understanding Contrast Therapy and Its Mechanism

Cold exposure functions by constricting blood vessels, diminishing blood flow to injuries, resulting in reduced inflammation and pain perception. Conversely, exposure to heat initiates a gradual rewarming of the body, causing blood vessels to dilate and thereby improving blood flow. This process induces muscle relaxation and promotes optimal nutrient delivery and waste removal throughout the body. The alternating cycles of hot and cold within a contrast therapy protocol generate a pumping action in the blood and muscles

(similar to that produced by a low-intensity workout), facilitating improved oxygen and nutrient reach to the body’s tissues. Collectively, this therapy contributes to reducing swelling and inflammation, enhancing energy and focus, and fostering relaxation and stress reduction.

Reserve Your Contrast Therapy Session Today

Intrigued by the benefits of contrast therapy? Why not schedule a session today?

Contrast Therapy Pools FAQs

Can’t find the answers? Get in touch with us today, and our team of experts will happily assist.

How does contrast therapy differ from an ice bath?

Although ice baths have proven effective in reducing inflammation and enhancing focus, incorporating heat into your cold exposure regimen offers additional noteworthy benefits. Alternating between hot and cold pools encourages the body to undergo multiple cycles of rewarming and recooling, resulting in a substantial enhancement in circulation, stress relief, and muscle recovery.

What should I do after a contrast therapy protocol?

After undergoing contrast therapy or an ice bath, we advise allowing your body to naturally warm up on its own, resisting the urge to immediately use a hot shower or bath. This is because many of the benefits derived from cold exposure, such as enhanced mood, metabolism, and circulation, are a result of allowing the body to naturally rewarm itself after exposure to the cold

How often should I do contrast therapy?

The frequency in which one engages in contrast therapy will depend on their recovery and wellness needs. Individuals who are seeking to recover after gym may opt to do contrast therapy as much as 4 times a week. However, recent research findings have indicated that 11 minutes of cold exposure per week is optimal to experience the benefits of cold exposure. In line with these findings, one can achieve the benefits of cold exposure within a single contrast session (by accumulating 11 minutes in the cold).

Is contrast therapy suitable for everyone?

People with open or infected wounds, diabetes, high blood pressure, untreated epilepsy, those under the age of 16, or individuals who are pregnant are not advised to participate in contrast therapy. If you are ever unsure, always consult with your medical practitioner first when wanting to try new forms of therapy.

View our evidence-based protocols

We use the most up to date research to match protocols with health outcomes.