Cold plunges (aka "ice baths" or "cold water therapy") have continued to skyrocket in popularity, especially in the last year!
You've likely felt the hype around cold plunges, but here is some data from Google Trends to quantify that hype:
But what is causing this hype? What are the benefits? How do you do it properly to get those benefits?
This article will serve as your guide to everything cold plunging, walking you through the history, the benefits, and the proper protocol so you can determine if cold plunging is right for you.
Origins and Recent Popularity
Cold water immersion is not only a recent phenomena.
The earliest know record of cold plunges dates back to 3,500 BC in Egypt. This record is known as the Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus, and it discusses the benefits of cold water for improving health. There are additional records from Hippocrates and Plato in ~400 BC talking about the benefits of hot and cold water therapy.
But it doesn't stop there. Physicians in Europe in the 1700's studied and touted the benefits of cold water therapy and established spas that drew in people from all over. And in 1874, two physicians established a 'Water Cure' facility in the UK that drew in celebrity patrons including Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, and Florence Nightingale.
The recent resurgence of cold plunge popularity, however, is due to a few factors: increased scientific evidence, mental health awareness, and social media influencers.
Scientific evidence - The last few years has seen a marked increase in interest from the scientific community to understand the benefits and risks of cold water therapy. The encouraging results (talked about later) has been one factor in sparking the public's interest.
Mental health awareness - COVID increased the public's awareness of mental health issues as well as healthy living in general. And because cold plunges have been shown to have mental health benefits, cold plunges have also surged in popularity.
Social media influencers - Prominent figures and influencers such as Wim Hof (aka "The Iceman"), Joe Rogan, Tim Ferris, Tony Robins, and a whole host of other influencers on social media have increased the proliferation of cold plunges dramatically, especially in the last year.
All of these factors have created a perfect storm to create the massive resurgence of cold plunging.
Benefits of Cold Plunges
When any health related topic starts to gain a lot of hype, your B.S. detector should be going off. There has been a lot of claims as to the benefits of cold plunges that are more so rooted in personal anecdotes rather than actual data.
That being said, there are a number of well-studied benefits that should still catch your attention. These include the regulation of blood sugar, improved mental health and immunity, and a decrease in inflammation.
Regulating blood sugar
Cold water exposure has been shown to increase the production of adiponectin, a hormone made by adipose tissue (fatty tissue) that helps regulate blood sugar. Adiponectin helps reduce insulin resistance and increase insulin sensitivity. This can go a long way to combat type 2 diabetes which plagues many Americans. These benefits were noted in almost every study when a meta analysis was done in 2022.
However, it seems that most of these benefits in regulating blood sugar primarily comes from shivering. Shivering causes many quick muscle contractions across your body which will burn fat and calories, similar to working out. This seems to be the primary reason for the increased production of adiponectin.
Because much of the benefit comes from shivering, giving your body time to warm up naturally after a cold plunge rather than hopping in a hot shower can get you more of these benefits.
Improved mental health
The majority of what you see online regarding the benefits of cold plunges has to do with improved mental health.
People have claimed it has helped them overcome ADHD, OCD, anxiety, depression, and a whole host of other issues. However, these are mostly anecdotal stories and there is still a lot of research to be done.
One study in 2022 with 50 individuals found that swimming in the sea lead to a statistically significant decrease in depression and anxiety amongst participants.
Another study points to a 250% increase in dopamine one hour after cold water exposure. Since dopamine is associated with satisfaction and motivation, one can imagine a number of mental health benefits associated with this, though the study did not directly point to them.
Andrew Huberman, in particular, has pointed to a number of studies on the mental health benefits of cold water therapy, many of which are citied in this podcast episode of his.
On the purely anecdotal side of things, I and many others have experienced an increase in motivation, a decrease in stress, and better focus throughout the day with cold plunges.
In our world full of distraction and dopamine hacking from social media, taking a moment to do something difficult, something that requires a lot of discipline, helps break the cycle and puts you in the drivers seat of your life.
Improved immunity
Improved immunity is one area where there is still a decent amount of research that needs to be done.
One study found that continued brief cold exposure over many days led to an increase in the number of white blood cells. White blood cells come in many varieties and they act as the first layer of defense in the immune system. However, this study did not look at actual health outcomes (i.e., frequency of getting sick), so this data should not be extrapolated too far.
Another study in the Netherlands found that cold showers had a positive impact on the number of sick absences from work. However, it did not show an impact on the number of days absent from work due to sickness. On top of that, this is self-reported data which isn't as reliable.
Andrew Huberman has also talked about the immune benefits of cold exposure in his podcast. However, he does not recommend cold plunges if you are currently sick or not feeling well. Here is a short video from him on this:
Decreased inflammation
Cold exposure has been known for many years to decrease acute inflammation caused by injury or rashes. This means that sprains and other tendon related injuries can be healed faster with cold exposure.
For chronic inflammation, however, there isn't as much data to go off of. Nonetheless, there are an increasing number of promising studies that have analyzed the effects of cold exposure on those with fibromyalgia, arthritis, and IBS, all of which are primarily caused by inflammation.
These studies show a decrease cytokines (inflammatory markers) in the blood. This can help to alleviate symptoms from chronic inflammatory diseases, but the studies focused on the biomarkers themselves rather than the symptoms.
Protocol
To get the benefits and avoid the risks of cold plunging, you should follow a proper protocol. A cold plunging protocol comes down to: temperature, duration, timing, and mindset.
Temperature
A proper cold plunge temperature is fairly subjective, but the main qualifier is for it to be sufficiently uncomfortable without being dangerous.
For most people, this means starting cold plunges at about 48 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Over time, you can work your way down to as low as you feel safe, bottoming out at 32 degrees Fahrenheit (the freezing point).
Unless you live in a very cold place, the water coming out of your shower or tub usually won't go much below 55 degrees. It might feel uncomfortable, and you can still get some benefits, but consider getting an actual cold plunge or at least filling up your tub with cold water and ice.
One last note on temperature: As mentioned before, there are benefits to warming up naturally rather than hopping in a hot shower or sauna.
Duration
Before you start hopping in cold water, you need to understand proper duration!
You don't want to put yourself into a state of hypothermia, so you should certainly avoid doing a cold plunge longer than 10 min in a single session with water temperature above 45 degrees, and no longer than 6 min in a single session if the water is less than 45 degrees.
And though you can get some benefits from a single session, many of the benefits discussed above accrue when doing cold plunges consistently. According to Andrew Huberman, you should get at least 11 min total per week of cold exposure spread over 2-5 sessions. You can do more than this (without exceeding the max in a single session) to potentially increase the benefits.
Timing
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the timing of your cold plunge. However, here are some common times people choose.
After a workout - Working out increases your body temperature and inflammation. Many people like to do their cold plunge immediately after an intense workout to help decrease inflammation and speed up recovery times.
First thing in the morning - Though it seems unintuitive, cold plunges actually help increase your core body temperature if not done for too long. Your body naturally heats up to combat the cold it is exposed to. This increase in heat helps you wake up and start your circadian rhythm off properly. Additionally, one mantra I hold to is "When you do the hardest thing first thing in the morning, the rest of the day is easy."
After the sauna - There are benefits to contrast therapy that cold plunges can't provide alone. Doing a cold plunge right after a sauna can help you get these benefits.
The key is finding a time that you can work into your existing habits. If you already have a schedule you stick to, find the most convenient time to slot in a cold plunge and integrate it into your life. There isn't a magic time that is going to provide vastly greater benefits. Just find a consistent time and make it work.
However, there is one time that you should not do a cold plunge, and that it close to bed time. As mentioned before, cold plunges actually cause your core body temp to rise afterwards. Because your core body temp needs to fall by about two degrees Fahrenheit in order to sleep properly, you shouldn't do it within two-ish hours of your normal sleep time.
Mindset
Don't underestimate the importance of mindset when it comes to cold plunges.
The right mindset will help you get so much more out of the experience, and the wrong mindset will ruin it and make you want to never do it again.
What this mindset really comes down to is control, discipline, and stabilization.
Getting in cold water is a jarring experience for anyone, and that is the main reason you should do it. You give yourself an opportunity to face something difficult, something you'd want to run a hundred miles away from.
By choosing to face it head on and control the emotions that tell you to run away, you are really training yourself for the hard moments during the day that would otherwise cause you to freak out. Those hard moments could be a difficult conversation with a co-worker, your kid drawing on the bedsheets, or a sudden car breakdown. A cold plunge gives you an opportunity to learn control, a muscle that is otherwise hard to train.
This mindset starts before you even get in. It starts with controlled, slow breathing through the nose and out the mouth. Once you step in the cold plunge and immerse yourself, your heartrate and breathing are going to increase sharply. That is the feeling of adrenaline. That is the feeling telling you to get out and run away. But as you stay locked in on your breathing, letting everything else melt away, you will start to calm down and come to a place of peace.
This mindset will give have you leaving the cold plunge feeling accomplished, calm, and ready to handle the days challenges. You'll want to return over and over again.
Cold Plunge Recommendations
Discount Link for Ice Pod
Though there are cold plunges that cost as much as $10,000 or more, there are more affordable options for roughly $200.
I personally have an Ice Pod Pro from The Pod Company. It only cost me $140 with their black Friday deal and it usually sells for $189. That price point doesn't include their chilling devise, but if you live somewhere that gets below 50 degrees during the night or you can easily access ice, you won't have any problems.
Use this link to get $10 off your Ice Pod purchase (paid affiliate link).
Aquavoss
Aquavoss offers a high-end cold plunge ("Model 1") that is still more affordable than some of the more popular cold plunge brands out there. Additionally, they offer a 2-in-1 cold plunge and hot tub combo ("Model 2") that will allow you to get the benefits of contrast therapy.
Conclusion
Cold plunges have gotten a lot of hype recently, but it is an age-old practice with plenty benefits.
These benefits include the regulation of blood sugar, improved mental health and immunity, and a decrease in inflammation. All from only 5 min of cold exposure a day!
Set a proper protocol and get started today. Your future self will thank you.