Benefits of Cold Water ‘Dips’

Now that summer is fast approaching, I thought it would be an acceptable time to talk to you about the amazing health benefits of ice baths. You have likely heard a lot of discussion recently about cold plunging because it is a ‘new’ buzz in health circles, however, submerging yourself in cold water for its health benefits is nothing new. In fact, this form of therapy has been around for centuries. I know the thought of jumping into ice cold water might not sound like a whole lot of fun, but the benefits for your health are remarkable.

 I lived in Dublin on the Irish coast for three years and watched as the locals stripped down to their skivvies and jumped into the freezing Irish sea on a daily basis, which ranges from 47°F/8°C in the winter to 57°F/14°C in the summer). They always tried to convince me to go in with them and, at the time, I honestly thought they had lost every last one of their marbles. One of them had even been bitten on the foot by a seal while swimming and they still jumped in every day. Their reason for it was because they said it ‘flushes your organs’ and I reckoned the Irish liver could use a good flushing once a day because that is about as often as they are in the pub.

Fast forward 20 years and now I’m eating crow. I regret not having embraced this cultural ‘phenomenon’ earlier. The Irish were right all along. It is one of the best things we can do for our health. In the last year, I finally adopted cold plunging as part of my health routine and it has been transformative. The first few times I did it, I couldn’t stop smiling. I didn’t know what was happening – I felt SO good when I got out!! This is because cold plunging creates a huge rush of endorphins and spikes your norepinephrine and dopamine. So it actually becomes addictive. The rush is real and you find yourself looking forward to it. There is also an element of challenge in it that is invigorating.  When I emerge from the cold water, I feel like I’ve won another battle against my mind. That feeling of having prevailed yet again sets a positive tone for the rest of my day.

A study published in 2021 showed that low levels of norepinephrine (NE) are associated with depression and other mental disorders, and concluded that “therapeutic agents which specifically increase NE activity are effective antidepressants, and there is evidence that those acting simultaneously on 5-HT and NE neurotransmission may have an antidepressant action superior to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).” So if depression is something that you struggle with, cold water submersion could be particularly beneficial for you.

Exposing yourself to extreme temperatures creates resiliency and strength not only for your mind, but it also has many scientifically validated health benefits that include increasing energy levels, improving cardiovascular health, boosting your immune system, reducing systemic inflammation, helping with recovery and making you more resilient to cold temperatures and other stressors. The initial shock of heat or cold exposure allows your body to adapt and become stronger in a process called hormesis. In many ways, your body adapts to frigid temperatures similarly to how it adapts to intense workouts: it may feel uncomfortable initially, but as your body adapts, it becomes stronger.

Cold water ‘dips’ also increases the plasma concentration of glutathione, an antioxidant that plays a key role in the proper function of t-cell lymphocytes and activates your natural killer cells. It also creates a significant increase in red blood cells, white blood cells (neutrophil granulocytes, lymphocytes and monocytes) and platelets count. As a result, cold plunging is a great way to boost your immune system, better equipping it to fight pathogens, including viruses and bacteria.

And last but not least, research is backing up what the Irish were trying to tell me all along; when you jump into ice cold water, your central nervous system causes the blood vessels in your extremities to constrict, forcing the warm blood to your vital organs. As a result, circulation in your arms and legs gets temporarily restricted. Once you get out of the cold water, your blood vessels dilate, thus triggering a ‘flushing’ phenomenon, as blood flow increases to the muscle tissue in your extremities and skin again. This flushing of your organs sweeps away debris and helps to promote a healthy system.

But what if you don’t have a plunge pool or Irish sea out your back door – do cold showers also count? The short answer is yes. To get all of the health benefits I have mentioned here, the water temperature should be no warmer than 55 degrees fahrenheit and normal tap water ranges between 45-55, depending on where in the world you are located. Researchers say that plunging your entire body into the cold water has a greater overall benefit, but cold showers are a close second.

The duration of the plunge can also vary, but it is recommended to stay between 30 seconds to 3 minutes. You would get more benefits from staying three minutes in 50-degree water than 20 seconds in 33-degree water (because it takes time for the body to respond to the colder water by constricting blood vessels and releasing cold shock proteins, which is this flush we were talking about earlier). In the end, how long you stay and how cold you can take it is completely up to you! If you have never taken an ice bath or cold plunge before, I recommend starting at a temperature that is uncomfortable but manageable and working your way up from there.  Stay committed – it will be totally worth it!