What is cold water therapy and should I be doing it?
Hydrotherapy is the use of water in any of its forms (water, ice, steam) for health promotion or the treatment of various diseases. Hydrotherapy is widely used for the treatment and rehabilitation of patients, but it can also be used to prevent disease in healthy people. Hydrotherapy is not new; in fact, it is a practice that has been around for thousands of years. However, if you’ve been paying attention to the wellness industry lately, hydrotherapy has taken center stage for many wellness influencers, celebrities and athletes. From the Wim Hof Method to Gwyneth Paltrow and her Goop special on Netflix, the world is interested in cold water therapy and a visit to most spas now includes a cold plunge as part of the experience.
But what’s the science behind cold water therapy?
What exactly are the benefits?
And what’s the safest way to immerse yourself in cold water?
Let’s break it down.
Cold water therapy is the practice of using water that’s around 59°F (15°C) to treat health conditions or stimulate health benefits. Although cold water therapy is an ancient practice, recent adaptations include ice baths, cold showers, winter swimming and cold-water immersion therapy sessions. Frequent exposure to cold is linked to several different health benefits, let’s explore what that research has shown…
INCREASED METABOLISM & SORE MUSCLES
Scientists have found evidence that exposure to cold speeds up metabolism (Soberg et al., 2021). Another benefit of exposing your body to cold is that it reduces inflammation, swelling and sore muscles (Yeung et al., 2016). Consequently, many athletes use ice baths and other types of exposure to cold to speed up recovery after physical exercise or training. As an ultra-marathoner, I can say with certainty that nothing feels quite as good jumping in a cold pond post-run or simply dipping my legs in the frigid North Atlantic at the end of a tough trail run. But what does the science say? It has been proposed that the hydrostatic pressure exerted on the body when immersed in cold water causes intracellular fluid shifts reducing inflammation, which can aide muscle function (Bleakley et al., 2012).
PAIN MANAGEMENT, IMMUNE RESPONSE & MORE
Cold therapy can also help as a self-management approach to pain. Cold can numb pain by causing blood vessels to constrict, which helps reduce swelling. You can use an ice pack or a bag of frozen vegetables, or yup, you’ve guessed it! You can submerge the affected area in cold water. Unfortunately, simply applying cold won’t completely resolve pain. It's more likely to lessen the severity and reduce inflammation but it can be a great tool, nonetheless. There is also evidence that suggests cold water therapy can boost immune response, which could improve your body’s ability to fight illness (Kox et al., 2014).
START WITH A SHOWER
Not ready to jump into the ocean yet? Cold showers likely will provide the same benefits. One study found that routine cold showers reduced the number of sick days taken from work, suggesting that they boost the immune system (Buijze et al., 2016). It is worth noting that while the mechanisms remain unclear, preliminary evidence provides support for cold therapy to boost the immune response.
WHERE TO BEGIN
If you want to test the benefits of cold water therapy for yourself, you can try it out in several different ways.
Take warm-to-cold showers. Start with warm water and, after a few minutes, gradually drop the temperature.
Cold shower directly after a workout
Immerse yourself in a cold bath: you’ll want the temperature is between 50°F and 59°F (10°C and 15°C), and stay submerged for only a few minutes.
Consider a short swim in colder waters.
HOW LONG & HOW COLD?
The most recent research (Soeberg et al, 2021) shows that about 11 minutes spread out over three sessions per week is enough to experience benefits. How cold? Use your judgement. Think “I really want to get out but I can stay in safely.” There’s room for flexibility here, so this could mean 3 minutes for four times a week; 4 minutes three times a week, etc. Shower, cold bath, quick dip in your local pond - the options are endless!
Try it out and let me know how it goes! Perhaps try easing your way in….. get it? Tag me if you do this, I would love to hear your feedback and see your experience! @easewithjulie
References:
Bleakley C, McDonough S, Gardner E, et al. (2012) Cold-water immersion (cryotherapy) for preventing and treating muscle soreness after exercise. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;2:CD008262.
Bleakley, C. & Davison (2010). What is the biochemical and physiological rationale for using cold-water immersion in sports recovery? A systematic review. Br J Sports Med. 44 (179–187) doi:10.1136/bjsm.2009.065565
Buijze et al. (2016). The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work: A Randomized Controlled Trial. PLOS one. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0161749
Kox et al. (2014). Voluntary activation of the sympathetic nervous system and attenuation of the innate immune response in humans. PNAS. 111 (20).
Soeberg et al.( 2021). Altered brown fat thermoregulation and enhanced cold-induced thermogenesis in young, healthy, winter-swimming men.Cell Reports Medicine. 2, 100408
Yeung et al. (2021). Effects of Cold Water Immersion on Muscle Oxygenation During Repeated Bouts of Fatiguing Exercise: A randomized control trial. Medicine. 95 (1).
