Written by: Kai Samiere, Sports Nutrition and Wellness Coach
Athletes, trainers and celebrities have been utilizing cold water therapy for years. But recently, there has been a lot of hype around the many ways people are exposing themselves to the cold.
Like many trendy healthcare routines, this makes us wonder, are there really any benefits?
Read along and we’ll summarize the research, answer your questions, and cover the basics of cold water therapy.
What is Cold Water Therapy?
Cold water therapy is a form of thermotherapy, where the body is exposed to temperatures of water below 60 degrees. This is typically done by taking cold showers, jumping in open waters, or utilizing a cold plunge. These forms have been used for centuries but research is just now exploring their benefits.
When immersed in cold water, even as short as a minute, the body experiences a form of eustress, or in other words, beneficial stress. Similar to sauna bathing, the body’s external environment is drastically changed. This rapid change shocks the body and causes various physiological adaptations to occur. Comparable to exercise, cold water immersion is a positive stress for most healthy individuals to experience.
How the Cold Plunge Stimulates your Body
A cold plunge acts on the body rapidly. Sometimes before you even make contact with the water. The mental response to getting in is one of the less researched effects of cold water therapy. Along with stimulating most systems in the body, just a few minutes in the cold can have you feeling new and refreshed like nothing else.
Overcoming the Aversion
One of the biggest deterrents to using a cold plunge or taking a cold shower is knowing that you will be uncomfortable. A slight hesitation and feeling of panic might even set in. This aversion is less studied but well known among those who use various forms of cold water therapy.
Once you take the plunge, the body responds by sending out a host of “happy chemicals” such as dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. These chemicals are sent out in response to the harsh temperature and is your body adapting to the cold. Because of this stimulation, one researcher uses cold water therapy with patients suffering from addiction. The positive feedback response that occurs challenges the body to naturally increase these chemicals that addicts typically rely on drugs for their stimulation.
Bearing the Cold
The moment we sink into the cold, our sympathetic nervous system is immediately activated. This is essentially our fight-or-flight response - the one screaming at you to “get out!”. The sympathetic nervous system regulates many physiological functions and our states of heightened awareness. Otherwise put, our “four E’s”: exercise, excitement, embarrassment, and emergency.
The activation of the sympathetic nervous system comes with a few benefits unique to cold water immersion:
Increased Circulation
As the sympathetic nervous system is activated, it quickly sends out a rush of norepinephrine, a hormone and neurotransmitter, also known as noradrenaline. The main function of norepinephrine is to maintain blood pressure in those fight or flight situations. As heart rate increases, norepinephrine causes blood vessels to vasoconstrict, pulling blood to the core in an effort to maintain body temperature. The body adapts to this response the more it is exposed to cold and blood vessels actually become stronger due to the changes in blood pressure.
This is an opposing mechanism to the infrared sauna which causes vasodilation, an opening of blood vessels to cool the body. When used in combination (infrared sauna followed by a cold plunge), you force the body to meet higher demands under controlled circumstances. Think of it like practice - the body gets used to performing these functions (opening and closing vessels) and therefore, has an easier time doing so day-to-day (while lifting, running, working, metabolizing food, and even breathing).
RELATED: 5 Surprising Health Benefits of Infrared Sauna Use
2. Recovery and Performance
The rush of norepinephrine has a positive effect on post-workout recovery and inflammation as well. In a group of female swimmers, exposure to cryotherapy and cold-water swimming showed a 2 to 3-fold increase in norepinephrine over a 12-week period. Researchers concluded that continual increases in norepinephrine can result in positively restricted blood flow, improved focus and alleviated pain.
Researchers suppose that norepinephrine acts on inflammation by suppressing pro-inflammatory mechanisms and therefore alleviating pain post workout. Cold water immersion has also been associated with improvements in long term recovery and day-to-day performance in athletes. Making it a great addition to any post-workout routine.
3. Improved Mood and Anxiety
Many antidepressants act on the body by altering circulating levels of the “happy chemicals” mentioned previously - serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Medications typically increase the uptake or release of these chemicals, making the individual feel as if they are naturally producing these. With this in mind, researchers are looking at ways to naturally increase these chemicals as an alternative to medication.
Cold water therapy has shown increased levels of norepinephrine and dopamine in the blood by up to 530% and 270%, respectively. This makes researchers hopeful that cold water therapy could improve symptoms to some degree. Along with making the initial plunge, the chemical release is another factor that increases an individual's mental fortitude.
4. Increased Metabolism and Weight Loss
Research doesn't go as far as to say that cold water therapy alone will help you lose weight. However, there are a handful of factors that suggest it can help you along the way.
In a study utilizing cold air exposure, men exposed to colder temperatures experienced an increased growth in brown adipose tissue. Brown adipose tissue is a special type of fat that insulates babies and young animals. This tissue stays with us for life and acts as a protective measure against diabetes because of its ability to produce heat within the body by burning glucose. A decrease in brown adipose activity has been seen in overweight and obese individuals, while its activity is higher in those of normal weight.
Stimulating brown adipose tissue through cold water immersion can be an effective way to burn a few extra calories by activating a rather dormant system in the body. Along with a consistent workout routine and healthy eating habits, thermotherapy can increase metabolism and be a potential aid to your weight loss goals.
5. Immune Booster
Until recently, scientists have assumed there was no voluntary activation of the autonomic nervous and immune system. Research has shown that practicing certain techniques can indeed activate these systems. In a 2014 study, “third-eye meditation”, exposure to cold water and certain breathing techniques each stimulated the autonomic and immune systems to release their respective chemicals and proteins.
This can mean an overall stronger immune system and immune response when an illness is detected. For the everyday individual, this leads to less sick days, less time out of the gym and more days feeling on top of your health.
Risks of Cold Water Therapy
Cold water therapy is considered safe for the general public. However, it is recommended you check with a doctor before using any form of thermotherapy. If you are pregnant or at higher risk of heart and/or circulatory problems, it is safer to avoid the shocking temperature change until certain. Starting with a hot-to-cold shower is a good way to ease into the shock that comes with changing temperatures.
Hyperventilation. Many of the physiological responses that cause the above benefits are inherently risky. Elevated heart rate, increased blood pressure, and immune system activation are all adaptations to the change in environment. Being mindful of your breath and working to control the innate aversion to the cold is how individuals can reap the benefits of cold water therapy.
Hypothermia. Body temperature is lost four times faster through water than air. This makes the risk for hypothermia a lot higher in a cold plunge compared to cryotherapy. Starting at the “warmest” temperature and slowly working your way down, one to two degrees per session, will ensure your body is properly adjusting each time. Physiological benefits are still seen at temperatures of 60° so that is no worry!
All things considered, cold water therapy is a great way to test your mental toughness, enhance post-workout recovery, reduce inflammation, boost metabolism and spend time with your breath. See what a couple minutes in the cold can do for you!
Interested in exploring the benefits? Book your cold plunge session today for a supervised and controlled experience in our 323 Octavia studio.