Ice-baths, otherwise known in modern terms as cold plunges are something that advertising would have us believe are very supportive for health, recovery, vitality and longevity.
Let’s have a closer look however at this new trend. An ice-bath involves submerging your whole body into cold water (10-15 degrees or lower) for short periods of time. 🥶 🥶 The list of benefits commonly reported range from; reduction in muscle soreness and inflammation, mood enhancement, energising, immune system boosting, detoxifying, enhancing of blood sugar regulation and increased dopamine (our feel-good hormone).
Ice-baths trigger a strong fight or flight response and forces the body to release stress chemicals (adrenaline & norepinephrine). These chemicals create a short-lived sense of alertness, clarity and even euphoria. Research has also shown a short-term dopamine increase, so the experience feels real, however it doesn’t come with long-term brain changes and hence is just a short arousal/stimulation.
Historically, ice-baths were used predominantly by athletes to help numb pain after strenuous exercise. The constriction of blood vessels caused by the icy-cold water is said to ease muscle damage, in scientific terms, via increasing mitochondrial biogenesis (energy production in the cells), which in a practical sense, helps an athlete recover faster and hence be ready to perform again in a shorter timeframe. But, numbing the post-workout pain from the damage done in training and competing was and is just a tool to get back out there faster which means, compounding damage to the muscles and connective tissue involved.
An important note here in case there is the perception that competitive athletes are healthier due to their extraordinary fitness, it is worth noting that it takes an extensive medical team to support most athletes and many, if not all, experience significant physical issues as they age due to the extra wear and tear they have exerted on their bodies. In gyms today it is also common to see bodies that are constantly pushed to their limits, hardened and without regard for longer-term wellbeing. As a once therapist and trainer to elite athletes including body-builders, tennis players, athletics, soccer players and others I can say from experience that if the body is not looked after to remain as close to its natural state of harmony throughout the training process, then ill-health, debilitating injury that is hard to rehabilitate, poor vitality (elite athletes are known for being prone to viral infections) and older-age ailments such as arthritis, osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia are commonplace. Heart Disease, autoimmune conditions, cancer rates and even early death are also very common amongst elite athletes.
The constriction of blood vessels in cold water is said to be able to ease muscle damage, helping you recover to perform better in a shorter timeframe through increased mitochondrial biogenesis. However, studies as far back as 1999 showed that injuries treated with ice delayed recovery time by up to five times. So, if the damaged tissue takes up to five times longer to heal when applying cold and ice to a local area, we need to question how beneficial it is to submerge the entire body into icy water, in the name of health and wellbeing. Research has shown that regular ice-baths after strength training has lead to decrease in muscle growth and strength gain over time. These studies showed it did reduce soreness (due to its numbing effect) but interfered with the body’s natural adaptation signals.
Many studies since have pointed out that applying icepacks or an ice-spray to the local injury area should only be used for a 20-minute period immediately after the injury. Sometimes cold and ice are still considered best practise in sports injury management today however numerous studies since 1999 show clearly that warmth and heat is a more effective way to deal with injuries and reduce recovery time. The more recent introduction of infra-red saunas and infra red-light therapy, showing a significant improvement in actual recovery times and those recovering from intense exercise, injury or surgery, has also brought the wisdom of ice-baths into greater question. Ice-baths are still widely used amongst athletes, as the appeal to have a short-term perception of improvement that allows them to continue training, is perhaps a hard habit to break. They are also widely used in mainstream spas and rehab centres all around the world, with a large industry fuelling the promotion of this practise as having substantial health benefits, including home-based cold plunge pools.
Let’s apply some common sense and basic physiology to the subject and see what that reveals, starting with the fact that:
- It is not natural for our body to be submerged in icy-cold water for ANY length of time. We have a body temperature of just above 37C and cooling it below that has natural consequences that if not corrected, leads to significant health issues. There is a reason we do not walk around in winter with shorts, singlets and barefoot… we are designed to remain warm throughout our entire body, being cold is not a natural state of being and our bodies work hard to restore this core temperature the instant it drops.
- At a physiological level we know that cold causes our peripheral blood vessel to constrict, which means less blood flow to the extremities and to the muscles and skin. Our bodies number 1 priority, is to maintain this blood flow, bringing oxygen and nutrients to our tissues and organs. This constriction puts pressure on the heart to work harder in order to overcome the reduction in blood flow and restore circulation and warmth to the entire body. Cardiac stress, heart attack, hypothermia, breathing difficulties are potential dangers, especially with the presence of underlying or chronic heart or lung conditions.
- It is important to understand that the primary purpose of using ice-baths is to cause numbness through restriction of blood flow, which includes the restriction of pro-inflammatory factors that are triggered by strenuous exercise or injury – these being integral in the instigation of the body’s natural healing mechanism. These inflammatory factors normally cause increased blood flow to the area, and with that, increased warmth and pain. The pain serves to stop us from making further movements that damage the tissues, until such time as it is healed. Interfering with our natural healing mechanism to cause the exact opposite ‘response’ from the body, is unlikely to be a wise move in the longer term. Restricted blood flow also means restricted lymphatic flow – the lymphatics being part of our immune system, complementary to the blood system and one of the most important detoxification and elimination systems of our body. The implications of repeatedly restricting the movement of lymphatic fluid through the body can be surmised by understanding the importance of detoxification for a healthy body and a sense of wellbeing.
- As the blood is designed to carry nutrients and oxygen to all parts of the body, restricting blood flow results in less nutrition and oxygen particularly to the extremities. This causes a significant strain on our endothelial cells (the lining of the blood vessels) as the blood vessels are forced to constrict with the cold insult they experience. This is followed by an expansion once that cold is no longer applied, putting unnecessary strain on the blood vessels delicate endothelial tissue. These delicate tissues play a major role in the health of our cardiovascular system and should not be insulted that way. (See SNOB blog for more information on supporting endothelial cells. https://total-health.com.au/steffens-nitric-oxide-boosting-bowls and https://total-health.com.au/cholesterol)
- If we observe the body and skin of someone that is subjected to extremes of cold through cold water plunges, we can see obvious signs the body is out of its natural homeostatic balance; goosebumps, shivering, grey and/or slightly blue colour and discomfort… on the other hand, advertising almost always shows bodies that are warm, at-ease, well-circulated and with a healthy colour and glow. This supports the fact that we know instinctively what is truly health-promoting, and making ourselves unnaturally cold repeatedly, does not factor into that via any sensible, physiological or even scientific reasoning.
Personally, I love the warmth (that’s why I live in Queensland 🌞) and would not subject my body to what feels to me like the torture of an ice-bath. A cool shower or a swim at the beach on a hot summer’s day is definitely refreshing, but to submerge in icy-cold water, is in my view, unnatural and not at all nurturing of our true wellbeing, health and fitness.
Going for a swim that requires a beanie and thick winter gloves warrant the look on this man’s face… pretty sure, he can’t wait to get into that dry, warm bathrobe!
