Ice baths are said to have myriad health benefits. Photo / Getty Images
Ice baths are said to have myriad health benefits. Photo / Getty Images
Cold water therapy has been linked to a range of health benefits and you don’t even need a pool to do it.
According to the experts, cold water can help us to chill out in more ways than one. Research suggests it improves mood, calms the nervous system,eases muscle soreness and may even boost immunity.
Increasing numbers of sports people, celebrities and influencers, including David Beckham and Harry Styles, have incorporated ice baths into their routine, and interest in cold water therapy has soared in the past five years, with portable ice baths now available for your home. Just fill it with water and ice or opt for a more expensive chilling unit.
If you’re keen to try an ice bath, you can do so even without specialist equipment – simply half-fill your bath with cold water, grab a thermometer and add ice cubes until the water reaches a suitably chilly temperature. Tap water is usually between 10C and 20C even without ice. So if you don’t fancy cold water swimming, or you don’t live near a suitable body of water or open-air pool, you can still get the same benefits by using an ice bath at home.
“You’ll notice a strong effect when the water is below 20C, so that’s a good place to start,” says Dr Mark Harper, the author of Chill: The Cold Water Swim Cure. “There is some benefit in going below that temperature, particularly once you start to adapt, but the minimum temperature for maximum benefit is around 10C.”
How does it affect your body?
Ice baths have been used for decades to reduce soreness and inflammation after exercise. When you submerge yourself in cold water, your body temperature immediately drops and blood vessels constrict, reducing swelling and sending more blood to the organs, where it becomes rich in oxygen and nutrients. As the body warms up and blood vessels dilate, blood flows back into the tissues, flushing out lactic acid build-up in the muscles and aiding recovery.
“When you go into cold water, it stops the inflammatory reaction straight away, which is why athletes use ice baths to help them recover in time for the next match,” explains Harper.
However, ice baths aren’t just for athletes. “Getting levels of inflammation down is very important as it’s related to so many illnesses and conditions, including 21st-century lifestyle conditions like high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes.”
Intense exercise causes tiny tears to develop in the muscle fibres. To repair these microtears, the body increases blood flow to the area, which results in the soreness and inflammation that occur after a workout. Over time, this is how you build muscle mass but ice baths can be useful if you’ve worked harder than usual or have overdone it and research suggests this can be more beneficial than complete rest.
However, if building muscle is a priority, you may not want to take an ice bath right after exercising as it will interfere with the natural muscle repair process. “If you’re training, reducing that inflammation is bad for you, because you need those microtears to stimulate the body to build back stronger,” says Harper. For that reason, it’s best to wait at least a few hours before taking a dip.
2. Improved mood
Studies show that cold water therapy can help to improve mood by boosting levels of endorphins as well as the neurotransmitter noradrenaline, which plays an important role in our “fight or flight” response. It may also help to decrease the stress hormone cortisol and there’s some evidence that it can decrease anxiety.
Early research also suggests a link between depression and inflammation. “As well as the mood-boosting effects of adrenaline, you also have the effect of the cold – and reducing inflammation in the body makes you feel good,” Harper says.
Many of us grew up being told that we would “catch your death” if we let ourselves get cold but there’s some evidence that an icy plunge could boost our immunity and stimulate the blood cells that fight infection.
One study indicates that regular cold water immersion activates the immune system and another found that people who switched to cold showers for 90 days had 29 per cent fewer sick days than those who had hot showers.
“Getting cold is bad for you but exposing yourself to the cold is good for you – it’s an important distinction,” Harper says.
Studies show ice baths can decrease sensitivity to pain and improve recovery. Photo / Unsplash
4. Better sleep
An ice bath might sound like a guaranteed way to wake you up but one study found that a cold water dip improves sleep quality, while other research suggests that it aids restful sleep.
While you might not want to take the plunge right before bed, there’s some evidence that taking an ice bath a couple of hours before bed can increase production of the sleep hormone melatonin, making it easier to drop off and stay asleep.
Exposure to cold water can support the central nervous system and could provide pain relief to those living with neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, as well as migraines, fibromyalgia and sciatica.
Although experts don’t fully understand how this works, it’s believed to be because cold water acts like an anaesthetic and slows down the speed at which nerves send pain signals to the brain. Research indicates that cold water immersion can decrease sensitivity to pain and one study found that it relieved pain altogether.
6. Strengthens your vagus nerve
The vagus nerve is the main nerve of the parasympathetic central nervous system and helps to calm your body and control your “fight or flight” response. Experts believe ice baths can help to “train” the vagus nerve, as the cold water activates a stress response that, over time, helps you to manage stress more effectively.
“We know that cold water immersion attenuates that stress response and we find that this translates into real life,” says Harper. “After an ice bath, people say, ‘I’ve done this today, now I can face anything.’”
Are ice baths right for you?
“On the whole, ice baths are pretty safe, as long as you use them carefully and with common sense,” Harper says.
Crucially, this means you should check the temperature and stay in the water for 10 minutes at most. You don’t need to stay in for long – or take an ice bath every day – to reap the benefits.
“When you initially get into the cold water, it’s a shock,” Harper says. “That feeling lasts for two or three minutes, possibly less. You need to stay in for long enough to get past that initial shock phase, but there’s no need to stay in any longer as 80 per cent of the effects will happen in that first couple of minutes. You don’t even have to do it that often, just one ice bath a week will have a positive effect.”
Disclaimer: Exposure to cold water can affect circulation, heart rate and blood pressure. If you have an underlying health condition, please check with your GP before trying an ice bath or exposing your body to cold water.
