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Ice bathing
Every year, around 300 people venture into the icy waters of the Flussbad Oberer Letten to raise money for charity. In recent years, ice bathing, also known as cold plunging, has also become a popular post-exercise recovery technique beyond the tradition. What may sound like a nightmare to some is a therapeutic ritual for others with numerous benefits for the body and mind. In this blog post, you will discover more about ice bathing’s scientific background, its historical roots and the surprising ways in which it can boost general well-being.
The ancient art of ice bathing
Ice bathing is not a new phenomenon—it has deep historical roots that span various cultures. The nomadic Scythians celebrated ice bathing as early as 700 BC. Even children took part in this ritual to toughen themselves up against the harsh climate. Even today, ice bathing is still widespread and linked to religious and cultural occasions. Every year in Russia, Epiphany is marked by shouting and splashing icy water. Russian Orthodox Christians dip into cross-shaped holes that have been cut out of frozen lakes and rivers and blessed. Ice bathing is practised in the Jordan River as a religious ritual to cleanse yourself of your sins. Beyond its religious roots, ice bathing also offers many potential benefits for our physical and mental health.
What happens to our body during an ice bath?
Bathing in ice-cold water is extremely stressful for the body and releases the stress hormone adrenalin. This causes the blood vessels to constrict. The body tries to save as much energy as possible so that it can survive in this situation for as long as possible. When you leave the cold water and start to warm up, the body counter-regulates: The parasympathetic system, which is responsible for rest and relaxation, is activated, the tissue response is stimulated, and your heart rate decreases. This process comes with a number of health benefits, including reducing inflammation, improving immune function and boosting regeneration.
Ice-cold benefits
Ice bathing, although initially unpleasant, has a number of psychological and physical benefits. On a mental level, many ice bathers report an improved sense of well-being after an ice plunge. The shock of the cold water leads to an increased release of the hormones serotonin and dopamine, which create positive emotions and reduce stress. But beware: If your reward system is regularly activated by ice bathing, it can be extremely addictive! Dopamine also improves concentration, which can have a positive effect on everyday life.
Ice bathing triggers an acute threat to the body, which reacts by releasing more stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. This may be a challenge at first, but regular ice bathing teaches the body to cope better with stress, which can reduce everyday stress levels over the long term. Overcoming the initial discomfort requires considerable willpower, which can be trained through ice plunges and transferred to other areas of life.
The physical benefits of ice bathing are also remarkable. Immersing yourself in icy water has been proven to strengthen the immune system by increasing the number of natural killer cells. These cells play a crucial role in defending the body against viruses and bacteria, which reduces your susceptibility to disease. Ice bathing also stimulates your metabolism, which helps to boost immune defence.
It can also help with weight loss. Your body temperature is cooled down considerably by an ice plunge, and the body needs a lot of energy to warm back up to its usual 37 degrees! This process burns calories, which can help you lose weight. In addition, ice bathing also encourages the formation of brown fat. Brown fat cells differ from the well-known “white fat cells” in that they contain mitochondria, which convert sugar and fat into heat and thus help you lose weight.
Ice bathing also stimulates blood circulation. When you plunge into ice-cold water, your blood vessels constrict and blood is stored in the centre of your body to supply your vital organs with blood and keep you warm. When you get out of cold water, the blood vessels dilate again and your whole body is supplied with blood. This is why your skin goes bright red after an ice plunge. The improved blood circulation has a positive effect on cardiovascular health and can prevent certain diseases like high blood pressure.
Athletes like to use ice baths to boost muscle recovery after strenuous training. In addition to increasing blood circulation, ice baths help to reduce inflammation and minimise the production of lactic acid. Even chronic pain can be temporarily suppressed, as cold water itself is a strong pain stimulus and the central nervous system can only process a limited amount of pain at a time.
Overall, it is clear that ice bathing does not just challenge the body, but can also greatly improve both our mental and physical health. With all these benefits, it is important to bear in mind that they only take effect after about one to two minutes, as the body needs time to go through the processes mentioned above. However, the duration of the ice plunge should not only depend on this, but also the temperature. This is the only way to stay safe during ice bathing.
Tips for safe ice bathing
The positive effects of ice bathing mentioned above probably made you want to dash to your nearest cold lake. But the freezing cold is not always healthy—ice bathing can also have its risks if you ignore a few important pieces of advice:
- Cold shock can put enormous strain on the cardiovascular system. Pre-existing illnesses and incorrect use can lead to cardiac arrhythmia or even cardiac arrest. This is why it’s essentially to get a medical examination beforehand.
- Once your health has been checked, you still should not jump head first into a lake. Alternating between hot and cold in the shower or having a controlled ice bath at home is a gentle way to start ice bathing. Another natural way to ease into ice bathing is to continue swimming in lakes even after swimming season has ended. This hardens you up week by week, and your body gets used to the falling water temperatures.
- For beginners in particular, it is important to keep your head above water. A hat can help you retain your remaining body heat. Hands are also sensitive and should be toughened up at first.
- As mentioned, the duration of the ice plunge should be adapted to the conditions. As a rule of thumb, you can stay in for one minute per degree of water. So 10 degrees Celsius means 10 minutes, and 5 degrees is just 5 minutes.
- Due to the risks, it is important to only go ice bathing in a group so that a helping hand is always near.
- The time after an ice plunge is also key to a safe experience. It is important to dry the body quickly and warm it up with warm clothes and physical activity. This can take 30-60 minutes. During this time, hot drinks are particularly tempting, but should be enjoyed with caution, as you can misjudge the temperature and burn yourself.
Conclusion
Ice bathing may still sound daunting to many, but the positive effects speak for themselves. Whether you’re a sports fan and want to boost your recovery or you’re looking for a better way to deal with stress, the ancient art of ice bathing could be the cool solution you’ve been looking for.
References:
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