Need a boost of energy and focus?
Contrast bath therapy can aid in making you feel more awake and elevate your concentration by alternatively immersing your body in hot and cold water to increase circulation.
INCREASE: EnergyFocusResilience
DECREASE: LethargySorenessStress
30 mins | $30
Regular cold exposure has the ability to help reduce stress, strengthen the immune system, improve body composition, improve cardiovascular fitness, and elevate mood, attention and mental clarity.
Just half an hour of contrast water therapy can aid you to: reduce swelling, increase energy and focus, create mental and physical resilience, reduce lethargy, decrease soreness and inflammation and combat stress.
The Benefits of Contrast Therapy
Studies and research suggest that contrast water therapy can have several positive influences on the body and is argued to be specifically beneficial for athletic recovery and immune strength.
Reduce inflammation and enhance muscle recovery
When exercising, lactic acid builds up in the body's muscles, which can cause muscle soreness after strenuous exercise.
Coldwater immersion is seen to assist in alleviating exercise-induced muscle damage post-exercise. At the same time, contrast bath therapy as a whole can significantly aid with delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which usually only occurs a day after training, and thus assist with the active recovery of the body.
Studies performed with endurance athletes showed that cold exposure reduced the regular inflammatory response, aided the anti-inflammatory response, and enhanced muscle recovery.
Increase mental clarity and focus
One of the strongest physiological responses to the cold is a huge increase in norepinephrine, which mediates mood, attention, and other cognitive capacities. Ice bath regulars report improved mental calmness and increased energy. In combination with heat therapy, this can have long-lasting positive effects on the nervous system.
The current evidence base suggests that the breathing techniques used during cold water immersions regulate the nervous system and can assist with gathering focus, and are highly beneficial when used again during stressful situations, to alleviate anxiety.
Regular use compounds benefits
Regular cold training can reduce stress, help improve resilience, and rewire your brain to embrace uncomfortable situations. 57 minutes of heat combined with just 11 minutes cold per week is all you need.
Among the scientific evidence-based effects of this procedure is also an improvement of blood flow and blood pressure for people that suffer from cardiovascular disease.
Increased range of motion
The heat during the therapy can reduce muscle soreness and increase the range of motion by working toward eliminating inflammation in the joints as well as the soft tissue of the body.
Alleviates pain and swelling
Hot water temperature has been known for its relaxing effects on the body and mind. Therefore one of the key attributes of immersing yourself in hot water can be reduced sensation of pain due to less tension in the body.
Cold temperatures, however, are more related to reducing swelling and can therefore also assist in pain alleviation through reduction of swelling and thus an enhanced range of motion.
Removes excess metabolites
Exposing the entire body to extreme temperatures during contrast hydrotherapy is among the popular recovery interventions of elite athletes who are seeking a better recovery outcome post-exercise.
During a strenuous workout, metabolites builds up in your body, which is normal, but also the cause of your body feeling sore and fatigued. The pumping effect of your blood vessels caused by contrast bath therapy can increase the body's ability to flush out metabolites and other toxins and even aid in muscle growth.
Helpful information
Safety:
Do NOT practice cold exposure if you have epilepsy, heart disease, high blood pressure, are pregnant or are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. You should consult a physician if you have any coronary or heart-related risk factors. Do NOT combine breath-holds with cold exposure to avoid accidental fainting and drowning.
What we offer:
We have a range of cold exposures available at TH7 BodyLabs. Our main large ice bath which can host 12 people comfortably will be set to 10-12 degrees. This is a great starting point to those that haven’t had an ice bath or any cold exposure before. One of our friendly staff will be with you to guide you through the whole process.
Our protocols are dictated by where you are in your recovery journey, so the time spent in the ice and hot bath will vary with this. Generally, we recommend at least 1 minute per degree the water is. It can be accumulated with changing between the ice bath and the hot pool.
For individuals that prefer it colder – like members of our 6 minute Polar Bear Club – we have two smaller ice baths that will be set to 6 degrees and 8 degrees. These settings can change from day-to-day and we hold regular challenges and courses that go even lower!
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.
We have developed three different Contrast Therapy protocols to cover a variety of wellness and performance needs. If you are new to Contrast Therapy, our First Time Protocol is the ideal way to familiarise yourself. If you are preparing for an event, our Contrast Therapy Prepare Protocol will set you up for a peak performance. If you are looking to recover, our Contrast Therapy Recover Protocol will help increase your blood flow and start the healing process.
First time schedule
5 mins (repeat 4 times) | 3 mins |
2 mins Cold Pool & 3 mins Hot Pool | Cold Pool |
Recover schedule
8 mins (repeat 3 times) | 3 mins |
4 mins Cold Pool & 4 mins Hot Pool | Cold Pool |
Prepare schedule
4 mins (repeat 5 times) | 3 mins |
2 mins Cold Pool & 2 mins Hot Pool | Cold Pool |
Freeze out schedule
12 mins |
Cold Pool |
Book a Protocol
Injury
Blood FlowMobilityRecoveryInflammationSorenessStress1 hr 30 mins | $119
Developed to improve circulation and mobility in soft tissue injuries, speed up the healing process and get you back to doing what you love.
Afterburn
Blood FlowEnergySleepFatigueInflammationStress1 hr 15 mins | $59 or $94 for couples
A client favourite to help ramp up metabolism and improve sleep quality.
Detox
FocusImmunityResilienceHangoverLethargyToxins2 hr | $109
Rid your body of weekend toxins to feel renewed and ready for a productive week.
Recover
Blood FlowEnergyRecoveryFatigueInflammationSoreness1 hr 30 mins | $49
Using a unique combination of equipment to help you get back to 100% sooner.
Refresh
EnergyMobilityRelaxationFatigueLethargyTightness1 hr 30 mins | $49
Setting you up for peak performance, and to also feel better, through a specific combination of equipment to help reduce the chance of injuries.
Nordic Cycle
EnergyFocusSleepFatigueInflammationStress1 hr | $39
Leverages contrast therapy (exposing the body to hot and cold temperatures) to amplify the benefits of each piece of equipment.
What Is Contrast Therapy and How Does It Work?
Contrast bath therapy or contrast hydrotherapy is a form of passive water therapy where you alternate taking baths in cold and hot water.
This practice of immersing either one particular part or even the whole body in oppositely temperated water has been around for thousands of years but has risen to fame in recent years due to the advocacy of the elite sporting population.
By repeatedly submerging the body part or whole body into hot and cold baths at a set temperature for a specific amount of time, alternating at a specific rate and for a set number of intervals, this method is argued to assist in alleviating circulation-related health issues by opening and closing the blood vessels to achieve a form of pumping effect through the body.
What is the Procedure for Contrast Baths?
Start with two to three minutes in the hot water, then switch directly to the cold water for about two to three minutes.
If you struggle to stay in the cold water for a minute, don’t force yourself. Instead, return to the hot tub again and stay there for another three to four minutes before returning to the cold water and trying again to stay up to one minute. Repeat this procedure about three to four more times, resulting in around 20-30 minutes in total.
At TH7 BodyLabs we have specific protocols if it’s your first time, if you are preparing for an event, if you are recovery from an event or just if you want to relax.
If you suffer from injuries or certain health conditions, it is not recommended to do contrast bath therapy; therefore, always consult with your doctor before trying this.
Precautions to Take Before Your Contrast Therapy Session
As already mentioned, certain health conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, will either change the way you will have to undergo a contrast bath procedure. In case of open wounds or injuries not older than 48 hours, you should abstain completely from it as well.
Cold thermogenesis appears to dampen the inflammatory response and aid the anti-inflammatory response. Although this might sound like a good thing, if you are wanting to gain muscle or improve strength, this may prompt you to reconsider jumping in the ice straight after a gym session. We suggest that if strength and size are your primary training goals, you should refrain from using cold exposure to aid recovery by at least 4-6 hours after training.
Book Your Contrast Therapy Session Today
Interested in the benefits of heat therapy followed by cold water immersion? If you’d like to try out this treatment for yourself, why not book a session today?
FAQs
Does contrast therapy burn calories?
Doing a full-body immersion in a cold bath does increase your heart rate and, if done regularly, also increases your metabolic system. There is no clear cut scientific evidence on whether contrast hydrotherapy actively assists with effective weight loss, but it certainly does burn off calories due to the increased heart rate and the effects of the temperature change on your body.
How often should you do contrast bath therapy?
While you should not exceed 1 minute per degree the cold water is when doing a contrast bath, there is no clear indication of whether you can contrast bath too many times. If you feel that it is beneficial to you and you enjoy the procedure without any side effects, you can technically do it daily.
Is contrast therapy better than an ice bath?
As cold therapy or ice baths only involve exposure to cold water, it might have fewer benefits than contrast therapy, where the body is exposed to both temperatures for a certain amount of time.
While the cold can assist with inflammation and focus, heat can assist with relaxation and lowering your heart rate. Both combined will aid best with muscle damage recovery and improved blood flow through your body, which has benefits in itself.
When should you start contrast therapy?
You should not start contrast hydrotherapy earlier than 48 hours after an injury, ideally rather wait for 72 hours after an injury to do a hot and cold water immersion. However, if you are in good physical health and just want to enjoy the overall benefits of this procedure you can start any time you want.
Who should not do contrast therapy?
If you suffer from the following, you should not undergo contrast therapy:
- Open or infected wounds
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Untreated epilepsy
In general, always consult with your medical practitioner first when wanting to try new forms of therapy, no matter whether they are active or passive.
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