Contrast Bath + Lightweight == Cold

I was a math major so I can only hold back the nerdyness so much.  The equation in the title needs some explanation.  Volp kicked the training plan in to high gear three weeks ago and we have been doing a lot of pieces.  With those comes the need to recover and I'm trying to coax my body into faster recovery mode any way I can.

When you think of rowing (or when I think of rowing) the first image that may come to mind is a tall, lengthy guy with a body fat % less than six.  That is by no means always the case.  Some of the best heavyweights in the world have a little bit of an energy belt that gives them some reserves when they need to go to the well.  Lightweights don't have that luxury and as we near the upcoming selection regatta and the first weigh-in of the year our "energy belts" are dwindling.

Yesterday we did some racing and afterwards I was feeling pretty wrecked so I decided to make use of the recovery baths at the training center.  There are two jacuzzis; one filled with 55 degree water and the other with 110.  You start with two minutes in the cold bath and then transition to one minute in the hot bath.  To get the maximal effect you should do three - four sessions in the cold and two -three in the hot, but making sure the cold is the last stage.  You can read about it here for more clarification.

There are a number of reactions your brain has when going through this process.  I say brain because I don't think your body actually has pins and needles in it.
FIRST:  COLD.  When you enter the cold bath the shivering onsets about 40 seconds in and hating life comes to mind.  Then with about 20 seconds to go you start thinking about that nice hot tub just two feet away!

SECOND: NOT HOT.  When you enter the hot tub your mind wants it to feel like paradise.  It doesn't!  The first thing I thought was, this isn't hot and then the tingling started.  Pins and needles enter your feet and legs and then after about 45 seconds you start to get comfortable, just in time to get cold again.

THIRD:  COLD... again
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.
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Repeat

LAST:  My body fat percentage is relatively low right now and the last two minutes in the cold water definitely left an impression on my body.  First of all, I did feel better.  The science is not completely sound and not specifically proven, so it may have been a placebo effect, but I felt better.  Secondly, I was cold for the next 4 hours.  It took my body a long time to regain it's warmth.  I even rowed for 1.5 hours and I was still warming up towards the end.

I will most likely do this again.  After all, I feel it helped and I've always seemed to return to the things that are painful (i.e. rowing and every August when I returned to USNA, haha)  But if you are healing from a surgery or some physical activity, consider contrast bath therapy.  My only advice is to bring a blanket.

- Jimmy