Working out is one of the best ways to stay in shape. Apart from staying healthy, you might want to workout to achieve certain body goals. However, sometimes you might not have the endurance to workout enough to significantly impact your body.
Using deep heat creams both before and after a workout
According to a new study by scientists from Nan yang Technology University, you can easily boost your endurance by rubbing heat cream on your muscles before a workout. Ordinarily, heat cream is applied to muscles after a workout to soothe muscle pain. Interestingly, the study suggests that the cream has reverse effects when applied to your calm muscles before a workout.
The researchers asked male participants to apply a commercially available deep heat cream on their feet, buttocks, thighs, and calves. Participants were then asked to repeat the exercise using placebo cream in place of deep heat cream. In each exercise, the participants were required to pedal until they were too exhausted to continue.
The scientists presented the results at the American Physiological Society’s Annual at Experimental Biology 2021. They revealed that those using the deep heat cream could endure an average 2 minutes longer than their peers using placebo cream.
According to Dr. Govindasamy Balasekaran, many studies show that many athletes use deep heat creams for muscle relief both before and after a workout. Additionally, some athletes use creams while exercising. However, there are limited studies that show the effect of deep heat on aerobic performance.
Uses in professional sports
According to the new study, while the participants who used deep heat cream heated at around the same rate as those who used placebo cream, it took them a bit longer to get exhausted. Dr. Balasekaran further observes that using deep heat creams could help professional athletes and sports enthusiasts with aerobics. He, however, notes that more research is needed to examine the benefits of deep heat creams on both sexes while analyzing the physiological mechanisms at play.
