Ice baths (or in the form of cold water immersion or cold showers) have become the latest and greatest trend in the fitness and wellness world. Celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Huge Jackman, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Tony Robbins as well as reputable scientists Dr. Andrew Huberman, are all doing ice baths regularly and swear by the benefits ice baths bring. Today, let’s dive into this trend and see if it is for you as well.
Ice baths have long been used after training to cool down body temperature and reduce muscle soreness. Recent research has also shown that ice baths may ease symptoms of depression, boost the immune system, and help with weight loss. What’s amazing about the findings is that it is an affordable tool that everyone can use. You don’t need a fancy bathtub; you can start with a cold shower and ocean plunge. In this episode, I will focus on 2 benefits that have been proven by science and with many reliable testimonies, I will explain why it works and how you should do it correctly to get the benefits.
Makes you happy
Plunging into cold water triggers the production of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, a critical chemical in the body that helps regulate attention, focus, and energy! A daily cold plunge can help increase your levels of norepinephrine, simultaneously increasing your energy.
It also trains your vagus nerve, and the ability to tap into your positive mindset when your body is under voluntary stress. It forces you to become present, unifies your willpower, and put in the hard work - which the end results in a release of dopamine and a natural dosage of courage.
Do you know happiness and pain use the same neural pathway? It means things that make you happy will bring you pain; things that bring you pain will make you happy. If you find yourself addicted to things like Netflix, social media, sugar or alcohol, and drugs, you will notice that initially you seek and get happiness through those things, but when the feeling of happiness is wearing down, there is pain that requires you to keep seeking to avoid the pain. This mechanism has been explained well in Dr. Anna Lembki “Dopamine Nation”. In this book, Dr. Lembki mentioned that some drug addicts found ice baths are very effective in treating their addictions. The mechanism is believed that ice baths bring pain first, but will bounce into happiness and wellbeing in the long term. A 10-15 minute ice bath in the morning has been measured to raise dopamine levels by 500% and it lasts for several hours after the bath.
Weight Loss
This is because ice baths activate the brown adipose fat, the good type of fat. Brown adipose fat, which is primarily located around the neck and collar bones, is metabolically active and can facilitate burning white fat (found around the stomach), thereby helping you lose weight.
Take the historical example of slim Korean women who, for generations, have earned their living by diving for seafood in the chill waters off Jeju Island. Until the recent transition to modern wetsuits, these women dove into water between 50°F to 70°F (10°C to 25°C) wearing only thin cotton bathing suits.
When researchers studied these women, they found that their basal metabolic rate was significantly higher during their winter diving months than during summer dives.
A 2009 research review concluded that brief immersions (5 minutes) in water less than 59°F (15°C) did increase metabolism.
So if losing weight is your goal, you don’t need to do a long bath, a 5-minute bath or shower is enough. But remember to immerse your neck or make sure you shower your neck to get the benefit. Shivering is a key part of this process, as it realizes irisin. So if weight loss is your main goal, not suppressing the shivering during and post ice bath and cold exposures are key.
If you want to test the benefits of cold water therapy for yourself, you can try it out in several different ways. Here are some suggestions:
Take warm-to-cold showers. Start with warm water and, after a few minutes, gradually drop the temperature.
Skip the warmup and go straight to a cold shower. This may be especially helpful if you’ve just finished working out.
Immerse yourself in an ice bath: Add ice to water until the temperature is between 50°F and 59°F (10°C and 15°C), and stay submerged for only 10 to 15 minutes. Consider a short swim in colder waters.
Safety tips
Talk to your doctor first
Because cold water immersion affects your blood pressure, heart rate, and circulation. If you have health concerns, especially cardiovascular health, discuss the risks with your doctor and make sure it’s safe for you to immerse yourself in cold water before you try it.
Have an observer with you
Be sure to warm up when you get out and avoid taking a hot shower. The sudden change in blood flow could cause you to pass out.
Keep immersions brief
To get the health benefits of cold water therapy, a few minutes may be all you need. Although you can gradually increase your cold tolerance, there’s no therapeutic reason to stay in cold water longer than 15 minutes.