The history of cold water immersion and why it has gained such a following.
Dating back thousands of years, cold water therapy is an ancient tradition.
Cold water therapy has been used for thousands of years, just like the use of bath salts dating back to many ancient civilisations. Immersion in cold water and exposure to cold temperatures has gained serious popularity because it is linked to numerous health benefits, including support from professional athletes, bodybuilders, and celebrities.
Frequent exposure to the cold is linked to many different health benefits. Scientists have found evidence that exposure to cold speeds up metabolism, reduces inflammation and swelling, and relieves sore muscles. This is why many athletes use cold water immersion as a means to speed up recovery after physical exercise. Furthermore, cold water therapy is also linked to improved quality of sleep, more focus and even an improved immune response.
When you step into cold water, whether it be a bath, a body of water or under a cold shower, your body interprets the drastic temperature change as shock and initiates a cascade of physiological reactions to adapt as quickly as possible.
So, what actually happens physiologically when you step into cold water:
The cold receptors in your skin undergo immense stimulation, which causes them to send strong electrical impulses to your brain. This activates specific regions of the brain and triggers the release of mood-regulating neurotransmitters. It causes a synaptic release of the stress hormone noradrenaline, and levels of beta-endorphin and noradrenaline in the blood increase.
Your blood vessels constrict under the effect of the cold water (vasoconstriction) as an adaptive mechanism to maintain body temperature.
Your breathing becomes rapid, and your heart rate quickens to ensure sufficient amounts of blood reach your heart, which has to work harder to pump blood through the narrowed vessels.
Blood is shunted away from superficial (near the surface) vessels and is dramatically redirected to deeper vessels to conserve heat and protect the vital organs. Your organs are supplied with abundant oxygen-rich blood, and metabolic waste products get flushed away.
Blood flow to the brain is increased significantly, causing more oxygen to be delivered.
Brown adipose tissue metabolism is stimulated to generate heat and maintain core body temperature, and this causes a spike in your metabolic rate.
Levels such as glutathione (antioxidant), IL-4 and gamma-interferon in the blood are increased.
So, what does this mean? What are the potential health benefits associated with cold water immersion that is backed by scientific evidence:
Improves Mood and Focus
Exposure to cold water causes your noradrenaline levels to skyrocket and also triggers a rush of blood into your brain. This gives you an instant sense of vigilance, focus and improved attention. Moreover, the endorphins and neurotransmitters released contribute to a generalised feeling of wellbeing. Additionally, there might be a good reason to suspect that cold showers cause your energy levels to soar. A 2016 study by Geert A. Buijze and team reported that participants in the experimental group, who took hot-cold showers followed by cold showers for three months, reported higher energy levels than participants in the control group, who took hot showers exclusively.
Helps fight Anxiety and Depression
In 2013, Nikolai A Shevchuk published a study on the basic principles of using cold water hydrotherapy as an effective treatment strategy for those struggling with anxiety, depression and generalised mood disorder. Thanks to the enormous number of nerve endings specialised for temperature on the skin's surface, cold water usually sends an overwhelming number of electrical impulses to specific brain regions. This is postulated to be the reason for the substantial decrease in reported symptoms of anxiety and depression. Today an overwhelming number of people claim that cold showers improve their feelings of wellbeing and leave them feeling more optimistic and energetic.
Speeds Up Muscle Recovery
Cold showers have been shown to have significant anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. World-class athletes often dip themselves in cold water after rigorous training sessions to boost recovery. There is solid evidence from a study in 2015, led by Aryane Flauzino Machado, that cold water immersion aids in faster recovery from intense physical activity. The mechanism behind this is well understood. When the temperature of a particular region of the body is made to drop, it causes an increased amount of blood to flow to that region to restore the normal temperature. In the process, high amounts of oxygen and vital compounds are transported to the affected area. It is for the same reason that we apply ice packs to bruises.
Increases Metabolic Rate
Research has shown that cold water immersion and exposure to cold in general, in addition to increasing metabolic rate directly, stimulate the generation of brown fat. Cold water immersion activates stored brown adipose tissue to release heat in order to maintain a stable temperature. This causes a noticeable spike in metabolism, which may be desirable for those looking to lose weight. Brown fat is a specific type of fat tissue that, in turn, generates energy by burning calories. Cold water immersion alone can not achieve significant weight loss; however, it can give a helping hand to someone serious about losing weight and has made the necessary lifestyle changes to facilitate the process.
Improves Circulation
Cold exposure causes vasoconstriction, challenging the circulatory system to maintain optimal blood flow. The impact of cold exposure strains the little muscles in your veins. They close (vasoconstriction) to keep the heat in and fully open up (vasodilation) to get the heat out of the body. When these little muscles in the veins work correctly, there is not much pressure on your heart. It does not have to pump that hard because the veins do all the work, and your blood pressure stays low. Over time, exposure to the cold has been shown to improve circulation and vascular health. It is also claimed that skin and hair health improve due to improved circulation.
Helps Fight Inflammation
The science definitely backs this one. Inflammation is the body's way of fighting harmful stimuli that cause injury and infection; however, prolonged inflammation can eventually damage healthy cells. Exposure to cold water draws a quick-fire cascade of adaptive physiological changes from the body. The sympathetic nervous system is activated during a cold shower, and the resulting response seems to lower the amounts of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are mainly implicated in auto-immune diseases and chronic inflammation. This is verified in many scientific studies, one example being the study completed by Matthijs Kox and his team in 2015.
Helps Boost Immunity
Scientific studies have found that cold water immersion increases the number of white blood cells in your body; these blood cells protect your body against diseases. Researchers believe this process is related to an increased metabolic rate, which stimulates an immune response. A 2015 study by Inger N. Sierevelt and team, involving Dutch men, confirmed that the participants who switched to cold showers reported taking about 30% fewer sick days.
Although ice baths did gain much momentum, the extreme temperatures carry various serious health risks, including hypothermia, cardiac arrest and potential shock. An arduous and time-consuming health protocol, ice baths can be painful and cause numbness, tingling, redness and irritation to the skin. However, research has indicated that the extreme cold temperatures of ice baths are unnecessary. Cold baths and cold showers have proven to be a safer and more enjoyable protocol, attracting many of the same health benefits, which can be safely practised in your home on a regular basis.
Cold Bath Co recommends that individuals run a bath between 15-25 degrees Celsius. The ideal temperature should be determined by several health factors, such as comfort, previous exposure to cold water temperatures, and health risk factors. The idea is to build up the duration and intensity gradually. You will quickly notice you can tolerate more and more.
Disclaimer: An individual should not use cold water therapy to replace other prescribed medical therapies or treatments. Cold water therapy is not recommended for pregnant women, the elderly, or those with a weakened immune system, high blood pressure or circulatory problems, a heart or kidney condition or broken skin. Please consult your doctor or health care provider to assess whether cold water therapy is right for you. Use at your own risk.