Ice vs Heat

Andrew Huberman has shared insights on the use of ice and heat for managing injuries and pain recovery in the Huberman Lab:

Ice:

• Applying ice to injuries temporarily numbs the pain but may not be beneficial for healing. It can cause sludging in the blood and lymphatic tissues, leading to potential clotting and inflammation. This restricts the movement of macrophages and stem cells needed for cleaning up the injury site, which can actually impair healing 1.

Heat:

• Heat is generally more beneficial than ice for helping injuries heal. It improves the viscosity of tissues and the clearance and perfusion of fluids such as blood and lymph out of the injured area. This aids the healing process more effectively than icing 1.
• Heat helps in managing pain better than cold, especially in the long run, because, unlike cooling, it does not cause a rebound effect where pain intensity increases after the cooling period ends 2.

Additional Insight on Heat and Cold:

• Andrew Huberman mentions that temperature is a crucial factor for physical performance and recovery. Cold, in particular, is indicated to be more effective than heat for enhancing performance and recovery because it can drastically influence body temperature regulation 3.
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    1

    Ice vs. Heat

    01:17:55
    
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    2

    Pain Management Insights

    01:19:52
    
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    3

    Power of Temperature

    00:10:02
    

In summary, while both ice and heat have their uses, heat tends to be more beneficial in aiding injury healing and managing pain, especially for long-term recovery.