Having spent decades inside the wrestling ring and countless hours in the gym, Seth Rollins knows the highs and lows of physical health better than most. But when it comes to protein shakes and cold plunges, his verdict is blunt.

“Shakes, overrated, underrated?” asked MH fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., to Seth Rollins in their latest conversation on Strong Talk Season 2, and Seth Rollins was blunt in his answer.

“Overrated a little bit. You know, protein is protein, right? You want to get it from real foods if you can. It's underrated in the sense that if you get a quality one, it's a nice quick fix, like if you're just in need of, 'Oh, I got to get my 50 grams of protein' whatever it is, find a good one. But I'd say, like you don't need to rely on them for your food. You'll be fine without a protein shake."

According to a study by Manoj S. and Shabaraya A.R., Getting Whey-hearted: A Review Responding to Myths About Protein, Specifically Whey, they expressed that, “Protein from whole foods should be the primary source of protein ingestion. Supplementation, on the other hand, has a place for people who want to enhance their protein intake.”

But What About Cold Plunges?

But that's not all. Rollins tackled yet another highly popular fitness trend: cold plunges. Though popular for recovery, Rollins offered a different perspective on cold plunges.

“Oh, no. Overrated. So, so overrated. I know it takes years to do studies on them. I don’t mind, like, a little back and forth. I think more than anything it helps you mentally, puts you in a different mental space, but from a physical standpoint, I actually don’t—I think it’s nonsense."

According to Dr. Prashant Rao, a sports cardiologist at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, cold plunges aren't as beneficial as we think. He explained in a Harvard Health article, "The little evidence we have suggests that post-exercise cold therapy may have detrimental effects on gains in muscle power and strength."

Do you agree with Seth Rollins? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar