What Is Cold Plunging?

Cold plunging, which is a type of cryotherapy, involves immersing your body in cold water. Once your body is in the chilled water, or even in an ice bath, your internal temperature drops, your body heat starts to dissipate, and your blood flow changes. 

Proponents of cold plunging believe that these changes relieve muscle soreness, aid in workout recovery, reduce inflammation, and boost immunity. There is even some evidence that it may improve mental health and reduce anxiety.

Here's what you need to know about the benefits of cold plunging as well as whether or not it works, the risks and side effects, and how to do it.

Benefits of Cold Plunging

While the concept of cold plunging has been around for years, the interest in this potential health tools is still relatively new. Still, initial research into the benefits of cold plunging is encouraging. Here is an overview of some of the potential benefits of cold plunging.

Serves as a Workout Recovery Tool

It is not uncommon to experience muscle soreness after an intense workout or athletic competition, particularly if you are a distance runner or engage in HIIT exercises. For this reason, many people turn to cold plunging to aid with recovery.

A review published in the Journal of Sports Medicine found that cold water immersion was an effective recovery tool after high intensity exercises. Researchers also noted that those who used cold water immersion also had lower markers of muscle damage and delayed onset muscle soreness after high-intensity exercise when compared to people who only used passive recovery.

Relieves Stress and Boosts Mood

Stress and anxiety affect many people. Having another tool to address those feelings and improve overall mood can be beneficial for a number of people.

One study found an association between winter sea swimming or bathing with lower levels of stress and higher overall well-being. Researchers also found that those who engage in this type of cold water plunging also have a heightened understanding of their health and wellness needs.

Meanwhile, another team of researchers found that when adults were immersed in water that was 68 degrees Fahrenheit for five minutes emerged feeling alert and inspired. They also had less stress and nervousness. And a small study published in Lifestyle Medicine found that a one-time, 20-minute plunge into 56 degree Fahrenheit water helped reduce negative moods.

Reduces Inflammation and Pain

When you take a plunge into cold water, it causes your blood vessels to constrict. This then reduces blood flow to areas of inflammation in your body. Then, once you get out of the water, your body naturally pushes blood back to the areas that were submerged.

A randomized control study found that cold plunging impacted inflammation and reduced pain in people with gout arthritis, an auto-inflammatory arthritis that generates chronic long-term pain. The cold immersion also impacted their perception of pain as well as improved their joint mobility and quality of life.

Amps up Metabolism

When you are extremely cold, you tend to shiver, which researchers have found generates extra heat in the body. This shivering may also cause a rise in your metabolic rate, helping you to burn more calories at rest.

Researchers note that when your body is extremely cold, blood also flows to your brown adipose tissue. Also known as brown fat, this tissue not only helps keep you warm when you are cold, but also could help you burn calories as well. Consequently, they speculate that regularly engaging in cold plunging might help you lose weight.

Cold plunging also may help regulate blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity. More research is needed to determine if using cold plunging may be an effective weight management tool.

Does Cold Plunging Work?

When you take a plunge into cold water, the cold water immediately removes your body heat, drops your internal temperatures, and changes blood flow. This process has long been thought to treat primary and secondary tissue damage as well as inflammatory response. It's also why many athletes use ice baths and cold plunges to recover.

But does it really work? While evidence is still thin, there is some scientific support that cold plunging may have some beneficial health effects. That said, many of the potential health benefits are based on small studies. For this reason, more evidence-based scientific research documenting the potential health benefits is needed.

Risks and Side Effects of Cold Plunging

Historically, researchers believed that deaths from cold plunging occurred because of hypothermia. But more recent research suggests that other factors may be at play as well. For instance, one report found that people in cold water died despite being good swimmers and being within three meters of safety. This led researchers to conclude that cold water may cause more rapid incapacitation than hypothermia.

One risk factor is known as cold shock, which is particularly hazardous. Cold shock occurs when you are suddenly immersed in very cold water and results in gasping or loss of breathing control, heart and blood pressure issues, and impaired mental ability. In fact, people who experience cold shock struggle to get their breathing under control. They also might gasp, hyperventilate, and feel breathlessness or like they are suffocating.

People experiencing cold shock also can become incapacitated and find it difficult to move. They also may find that their arms and legs stop working and that they become exhausted more rapidly. It also is not uncommon to experience muscle fatigue and loss of sensation—all of which make it difficult to get to safety and avoid drowning.

Some evidence suggests that immersion into cold water can even cause heart arrhythmias. It also can cause higher levels of troponin (a regulatory protein connected to muscle contractions) which suggests that prolonged cold water immersion could lead to heart muscle damage. For this reason, the elderly as well as people with heart conditions may not be well suited for cold plunging.

How to Do a Cold Plunge

Before incorporating cold plunging into your daily routine or as part of your recovery from sports activities, have a conversation with your healthcare provider. They can help you determine if this is a safe activity for you as well as what types of precautions you should take.

Once you have the all-clear, start out slow and listen to your body. Remember, your body needs time to adjust to the shock of cold water. Taking a cool shower and gradually adjusting the temperature to a colder temperature will help you prepare. This helps "train" your body for the cold plunge.

If you are planning to do a cold plunge outside, pay attention to the weather. Ideally, the temperature should be between 55 and 69 degrees Fahrenheit. According to the National Center for Cold Water Safety immersing yourself in water less than 60 degrees Fahrenheit can be dangerous if not done carefully.

As with any water activity, you should never do a cold plunge alone nor should you immediately dive in—especially if this is your first time participating in cold water immersion. Instead, slowly submerge your body, keeping your head above water and try not to stay in the water longer than five minutes. As you get used to cold water plunging, you can gradually build up your time in the water.

Some people choose to do a cold water plunge once a week as part of a group experience while others prefer to do a cold water plunge in their bathtub, a special plunge pool, or in an ice bath several days a week. Whatever your preference, it is important to start out slow.

Also, ask a doctor, physical therapist, or other medical professional how often you should take the plunge, especially if you are doing it for health reasons or have medical conditions. They also can advise you on the time of day that is best for you.

A Quick Review

Cold plunging is a popular approach to improving health and well-being—though research into its benefits is still relatively new. Proponents of cold therapy say it can help muscles recover, improve mood, boost metabolism, reduce inflammation, and more. That said, cold plunging is not for everyone and can be a risky undertaking particularly for the elderly or those with heart conditions. In fact, it can lead to heart arrhythmias, difficulty breathing, and incapacitation. If you are interested in cold plunging, it is important to talk to a healthcare provider first to determine if it is right for you.