Recently you may have seen people getting into freezing cold water and posting it all over social media. You may have also seen Wim Hof on the BBC last year, getting a bunch of celebrities to endure cold showers, jump into icy lakes and swim under the water.
So what’s it all about? What’s going on?!
It’s the latest health and wellness craze. Over the years we’ve been through a bunch of them in the fitness industry. A few years ago it was the Atkins diet, then we had juicing. Next up it was Stoicism and now we’ve moved onto cold water exposure.
Like all kinds of things in fitness, there’s a bit of research that comes out, then a handful of influential people start to do it. The idea will spread, more people will start to do it, then the originals start to sell products on the back of it. It’s a rinse and repeat model that makes a handful of people a lot of money.
So is that what’s going on here? Let’s take a look…
Cold exposure and health - a quick history
The idea of using cold for therapeutic benefit is nothing new at all. We’ve been using cold on injuries for literally decades. The idea behind this cold use is to reduce inflammation in acute injuries. That’s why we see ice packs, freeze sprays etc in the physio bag.
We’re also aware of cold exposure following intense bouts of exercise. Images of athletes jumping into an ice bath after competition to speed up recovery are nothing new…
Interestingly, despite this being a common post-exercise practice, there’s surprisingly little rock-solid research to back up its use. It’s not to say it doesn’t do anything, it’s just that there’s probably more effective, more convenient and less uncomfortable ways to speed your recovery!
So if the research isn’t there for a post-exercise cold immersion, why do people still do it? What are the claimed benefits of cold exposure?
Why are people jumping in cold water?
The main benefits appear to centre around wellness. Here’s a snapshot of some of the overarching claims as to the efficacy of the practice…
There’s a psychological argument - that overcoming adversity has psychological benefits. It can help people to overcome fears, to face difficult situations, to push themselves physically and mentally, which has other benefits. Anecdotally, it appears to be a solid link. Lots of people self-report feeling psychologically better thanks to cold exposure.
The research here is limited, but interestingly it does show promise. A study involving cold showers shows that it can help people with depressive symptoms, but the researchers do say that the sample size was small, and the topic needs more investigation. It’s certainly showing promise though.
Fat loss is a benefit… This is an interesting one. Essentially humans have several types of fat. The most common one we know is ‘white fat’ - the stored energy that we associate with being overweight. There’s also a type of fat known as ‘brown fat’.
Brown fat burns chemical energy to create heat and help maintain body temperature. Researchers have previously shown that, in response to cold, white fat cells in both animals and humans take on characteristics of brown fat cells. This means cold exposure can actually help us to burn more fat, and the research appears to support this - as long as the cold exposure is long term and consistent. You can’t just do a single ice bath and then turn your body into a fat-burning furnace!
Circulatory benefits… There is some evidence that the contrast element of cold exposure and the subsequent return to normal body temperature helps with circulation. There’s lots of anecdotal research as well that supports this.
There are lots of people on social media reporting that cold exposure has helped to improve their circulation and in some cases, cure them of persistent Reynaud’s syndrome. Whether or not that can be applied to the masses is another matter, but it may be the case in future as more studies are done.
A warning…
If yo decide to give cold exposure a go, do so knowing there are risks you need to mitigate. Build top your tolerance over time. Don’t do anything stupid like jumping into icy lakes. Start with cold showers for 20 seconds and build up.
If you decide to carry on, buy an ice bath to use outside. A cheaper and just as effective way is to buy an extra wheelie bin from the council, fill it with cold water and use that!
Just be safe. Health first, pushing limits comes second.
Cold exposure - should you?!
Here’s what we know so far… there are lots of potential benefits to regular cold exposure. The research is in its infancy, but there is definite promise.
Whether or not all of the claims made by enthusiasts are going to prove true is a different matter.
That being said, there’s a lot of benefit in challenging yourself, expanding your capacity and your capabilities. If you’re doing it because you want to develop your mental toughness, or prove what you’re capable of, go for it.
If you are struggling with your mental health, there’s a solid case for using cold exposure. It appears to be excellent for this purpose.
If you are doing it for fat loss, for muscle recovery or for blood circulation, there are more effective and less uncomfortable ways of boosting those! The effects are there, but they’re not as powerful as other approaches we already have available to us!
If you want help with your health, AdMac Fitness is the place to go!
We help people using tried and tested fitness approaches. Our expert team of personal trainers, based in both Bow and South Woodford can help you get a grip of your health and fitness. With our guidance you can see your health and fitness reach new levels!
For more information on who we are, what we do and how we can help you achieve your health and fitness goals, contact us on… 07921465108 or email us at admacfitness@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
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