What is Contrast Therapy and Does it Work?

Contrast therapy is a method that alternates between hot and cold treatments. You would, for example, immerse yourself in hot and cold water, or alternate between applying heat and ice packs. Contrast therapy is also often named contrast bath therapy or contrast water therapy, depending on the method used.

This specific wellness therapy is gaining popularity among athletes and wellness enthusiasts because of its many health benefits. Keep reading to discover them!

Mechanism of Contrast Therapy

As we previously noted, contrast therapy will have you alternating between hot and cold treatments. This therapeutic method is specifically designed to use your body’s natural responses to changes in temperature, which can promote healing and recovery. Contrast therapy involves the strategic application of heat and cold to the body in an alternating sequence.

Usually, the process would begin with the application of heat, through:

• warm water immersion,
• heat packs,
• sauna (traditional, steam, or infrared).

This initial phase causes blood vessels to dilate, increasing blood flow. Enhanced circulation delivers oxygen and essential nutrients to tissues, facilitating repair and reducing muscle stiffness.

After heat exposure, you switch to cold treatments, like:

• cold water immersion,
• cryotherapy,
• applying ice packs.

This phase induces vasoconstriction, where blood vessels narrow, reducing blood flow and minimizing inflammation. This kind of rapid switching between hot and cold significantly increases blood circulation, which helps with muscle recovery and destressing. By understanding these health benefits, we can use contrast therapy for our well-being.

How Does Contrast Therapy Impact Blood Flow?

Temperature-based therapy helps with blood flow, inflammation, and muscle recovery. The application of heat promotes vasodilation which increases blood circulation to the affected area. Increased blood circulation delivers more nutrients and oxygen, which helps speed up muscle recovery and decrease tension. Heat therapy is especially good for chronic conditions, as it helps to relax tight muscles and improve flexibility.

Regarding the type of contrast therapy and its effect on blood circulation, some clinical studies suggest that our blood flow increases more during contrast therapy performed with an infrared sauna and cryotherapy versus plunging in hot and cold water (1). This is good to know if both options are available to you.

On the other side of the coin, cold therapy helps to reduce inflammation and numb pain. Some cold therapies are cryotherapy and thermotherapy. Exposure to cold causes your blood vessels to constrict, which can reduce swelling and prevent further damage to the area. This can be used in acute injuries, where you need to locally control inflammation.

Understanding the impact of temperature on the body’s recovery will help you make informed decisions about your wellness practices to get the most out of your wellness journey.

Benefits of Contrast Therapy

Muscle Recovery and Reduction of Soreness

Contrast therapy can help with muscle recovery and significantly reduce soreness. Switching between hot and cold stimulates circulation, which is crucial for muscle repair. During the heat phase, blood vessels expand. During this stage, blood flows quickly and delivers essential nutrients and oxygen to tired muscles. This will help fix the microtears in muscles, which have happened during intense exercise. This way of recovery is much more efficient than just plain waiting for your muscles to recover, as scientifically proven (2).

Cold therapy, which comes directly after, induces vasoconstriction and helps flush out lactic acid and other waste products from muscles. Lactic acid starts pooling in muscle cells when you exhaust them, and usually causes painful muscle soreness the next few days. If you incorporate contrast therapy after your workouts, it will help you with recovery.

Improved Blood Circulation and Reduced Inflammation

Beyond muscle recovery, contrast therapy offers many other health benefits as well.

For example, contrast therapy can boost immune function by stimulating the production of white blood cells, which are essential for fighting infections. The warm and cold treatment also triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. This will result in improved mood and reduced stress levels.

Long-term, contrast therapy and other thermal therapy techniques help keep your cardiovascular system healthy and happy. They also help destress you and keep your mind clear.

Guidelines for Safe Practice

Contrast Therapy – Timing and Protocol

If you practice thermal therapy, please keep some safety guidelines in mind. For the heat phase, water or sauna temperatures should typically range between 100°F to 110°F (37°C to 43°C). The duration for heat application is generally around 3 to 4 minutes, which is more than enough to warm your body up and increase vasodilation without damage.

The cold phase should involve temperatures between 50°F and 60°F (10°C to 15°C). Cold water immersion or the use of ice packs should last for about 1 to 2 minutes. This phase has to be shorter to prevent your body from cooling off too much. You can repeat the hot and cold cycle for up to 20 or 30 minutes.

Current research cannot conclude what the exact best timing or duration of contrast therapy should be for everyone individually, but more studies are currently underway (3). Protocols may vary, and you may find that you feel better when you do a longer heat session (for example, 15 min in a sauna), followed by a short and shocking cold plunge (5 min). You can repeat these sequences several times if you would like to.

Disadvantages of Contrast Therapy

While contrast therapy offers numerous benefits, it is important to be aware of precautions, potential risks, and contraindications to ensure safe practice. Individuals with certain medical conditions, such as cardiovascular issues, should consult a healthcare professional before starting any new health method. The rapid temperature changes can become an additional stress to your heart, which can be dangerous.

Additionally, those with open wounds, skin infections, or hypersensitivity to temperature changes should avoid this form of therapy. Contrast therapy should be approached with caution, especially for individuals with conditions like Raynaud’s disease, where cold exposure can make symptoms worse. Please also always monitor your body’s response to hot and cold, and stop if you feel any discomfort or pain.

To end this article on contrast therapy, have a listen to the Andrew Huberman podcast “How to Use Cold & Heat Exposure to Improve Your Health”. His guest is Dr. Susanna Søberg, an expert on cold and deliberate heat exposure on metabolism and other aspects of human physiology. They discuss the health benefits of thermal therapy, as well as different ways to enjoy it:

Conclusion

Contrast therapy is a highly effective and versatile method that enhances muscle recovery and promotes overall health. By using your natural responses to hot and cold, contrast therapy can help with:

• muscle recovery,
• reducing muscle soreness,
• inflammation,
• improving the immune system,
• destressing and improving mood,
• improving blood circulation.

This versatile temperature therapy should be approached with knowledge and caution, especially by following the safety guidelines. If you practice it safely, you will gain a wonderful new way of recovering your muscles after exercise, destressing, and increasing your well-being in general.

Literature sources:

1. Kim J, Jung H, Yim J. Effects of Contrast Therapy Using Infrared and Cryotherapy as Compared with Contrast Bath Therapy on Blood Flow, Muscle Tone, and Pain Threshold in Young Healthy Adults. Med Sci Monit. 2020 Aug 3;26:e922544. doi: 10.12659/MSM.922544. PMID: 32745076; PMCID: PMC7425122.
2. Bieuzen F, Bleakley CM, Costello JT. Contrast water therapy and exercise induced muscle damage: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2013 Apr 23;8(4):e62356. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062356. PMID: 23626806; PMCID: PMC3633882.
3. Leonardi G, Portaro S, Milardi D, Bonanno F, Sanzarello I, Bruschetta D, Sconza C, Tisano A, Fontana JM, Alito A. Mechanisms and Efficacy of Contrast Therapy for Musculoskeletal Painful Disease: A Scoping Review. J Clin Med. 2025 Feb 21;14(5):1441. doi: 10.3390/jcm14051441. PMID: 40094855; PMCID: PMC11900007.