It is worth considering what is important from the perspective of building muscle mass. During regular strength training, muscle growth should be constant and even. However, we should not only care about the development of the body, but also on health, as well as protection against injuries and joint pains, so often encountered among people using the gym. Cold exposure avoids such problems. But will sea swimming negatively affect the body building process?
Cold exposure - benefits
What Happens When We Sea? The body's immediate reaction to cold is to increase your breathing and heart rate. Regular exposure to low temperatures improves blood circulation and oxygenates the body. This is because the outer blood vessels contract to minimize heat loss. Thanks to this, blood from the outer shells of the body reaches important organs and contributes to the improvement of their functioning. What's more, the cold stimulates the body to replace a part of the white fat tissue with brown fat, which behaves quite differently. It does not act as an energy store, but is mainly responsible for the thermal regulation of the body through increased metabolism of fatty acids.
But how does low temperature affect muscle protein synthesis? Numerous studies show that not only does it not support the building of muscle mass, but can even contribute to catabolic changes. So in such a situation - as people who want to build muscle mass - we should give up sea? Not necessarily.
Muscle building and cold
It is worth considering why exposure to low temperatures has a positive effect on the body. Cold is called a stressor, i.e. a factor causing a series of reactions to a stimulus, which is low temperature. There is a production of heat shock proteins and an increase in the level of lymphocytes, monocytes and pro-inflammatory cytokines. In practice, it gives a short-term but strong stimulation of the immune system and protective processes. For this reason, regular sea sailing can even help prevent cancer or autoimmune diseases. Of course, provided that we eat healthy and take care of our overall physical condition.
Muscle building can be reduced during sea therapy by catabolic processes that occur immediately after exposure to cold. However, when building muscle mass, it is worth approaching the task holistically. Exercising allows you to improve not only your health, but also your psyche. It mobilizes and improves your well-being in the long run. This is no less important than diet or strength exercise.
To reach a compromise, sea water immediately after strength training should be avoided - it is best to schedule such treatments on non-training days. You should choose a day when you have a chance to be well rested, regenerated and rested. Then we will minimize the effect of inhibiting the synthesis of muscle proteins.
Supplementation while hydrating
Exposure to cold temperatures helps to improve overall body fitness. At the same time, by doing strength exercises, we risk damage to articular cartilage, as well as tendons and muscle attachments. The astringent effect of cold reduces swelling of the articular capsules and, by improving blood circulation, increases their nutrition and mobility. With regular cold baths, we are able to significantly improve the work of our joints.
It is best to take sulfur to enhance the joint protection effect that is needed during hard training. It is found in many foods, but a lack of variety in the diet can cause deficiencies. Organic Sulfur Opti MSM by Aliness allows you to replenish the deficiencies of this element in the diet.
How does sulfur affect the body? It prevents inflammation and reduces the degradation of articular cartilage. During intensive training, it reduces oxidative stress and shortens the time of post-workout regeneration. If you often experience muscle or joint pain after training sessions, it is worth supporting yourself with sulfur preparations. However, the most important role that this element plays is enhancing anabolism by protecting muscle protein during load and accelerating regeneration after training.
A general change in eating habits can also be important while sea. Consider increasing the caloric value of meals while reducing carbohydrates in favor of fats. This will help to make up for energy losses caused by low temperature. In addition, it is worth remembering about taking vitamin D3, C or those from group B, which directly support the overall immunity of the body.
When we care not only about the figure, but also to improve health, we should be ready for compromises. Despite the fact that marine activity may in general reduce the synthesis of muscle proteins, it should not be abandoned. With a skilfully implemented training plan, with regeneration days, we are able to plan additional activity, which is a cold water bath. If we have no health contraindications for this type of treatment, it can be combined with strength training. The more so because it is mainly in winter. For this reason, you can focus on more intensive training during the other seasons of the year.
