Cold Plunges: Is This Trend Helpful or Harmful?

You may have seen it all over the news or social media on January 1st: people all over the world jumping into frozen lakes and rivers to start the year with a “polar bear plunge.” 

Or you may have heard of your favorite athlete taking an ice bath for muscle recovery after a strenuous workout or game. 

And if you’re on TikTok or other social media sites, you may have seen the #coldplunge trend, which has millions of views and growing. 

If these piqued your interest, you might be wondering: is a cold plunge for me?

And if you aren’t an elite athlete or kicking off the new year, should you be exposing your body to freezing temperatures? 

Let’s explore the frigid waters of cold plunges and the benefits and risks involved, so you can decide whether this emerging trend is for you, too. 

What Is a Cold Plunge? 

Does a cold shower count as a cold plunge? What about swimming in the pool before it heats up under the summer sun? 

Before we look at the benefits and risks of taking cold plunges, let’s define what, exactly, a cold plunge entails. 

A cold plunge is a catch-all term used when you immerse your body in cold water, usually somewhere around 50°F or colder, although they can run as “warm” as 60°F. If you’re new to cold plunges, you might want to start off warmer and give yourself time to get used to the cold. 

The typical cold plunge session can last for anywhere from 30 seconds for beginners, and up to 10 minutes once you’re more acclimated. This can take place during one long session or broken up into multiple shorter sessions. 

A cold plunge can take place anywhere with chilly waters: a cold lake or river, an outdoor trough or bucket, an ice-filled bathtub, or a cold plunge center. 

And despite its current spot atop wellness trends, cold plunging is nothing new. 

The use of cold water as physical or emotional therapy dates back to the ancient Greeks. 

Hippocrates, famous for the Hippocratic Oath still used by doctors today, documented its use as early as the 4th century BC. So cold therapy is much more than a fad; it’s backed by centuries of practice.

Cold Plunge Safety

If you decide to add cold plunges into your wellness routine, here are a couple of things to keep in mind. 

• Avoid prolonged exposure, especially in the beginning. Set a timer to keep track of how long you’re in the water. 
• Use a thermometer to measure the temperature of the water. 
• If you’re doing your cold plunge in a river, lake, or other natural body of water, be aware of currents. 
• Never cold plunge alone. The sudden temperature change can cause sudden cardiac arrest or drowning. 
• Don’t jump in or put your head under water right away. If your reaction to the extreme cold is a sharp gasp, which is quite common, you might unintentionally inhale water and be at risk for drowning. 

Cold Plunge Benefits

Now that you’re more familiar with how to take a cold plunge, let’s look at some reasons why you may want to.  

Relieve Sore Muscles and Inflammation

One of the most common remedies for aching muscles is to ice them—and with good reason. 

Cold constricts your blood vessels, slowing blood flow and relieving both muscle swelling and soreness. It’s why baseball pitchers ice a sore elbow after a game, for example. 

Immersing your entire body has the same effect, but on a larger scale. After a tough workout or game, a cold plunge can relieve all of your sore muscles at once.  

One recent study showed that a cold plunge is an effective muscle pain reliever, reducing both inflammation and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), the soreness that sets in 1-2 days after high-intensity exercise. 

And it’s not just for sore, post-workout muscles. 

A cold plunge can reduce inflammation due to other causes, as well. 

If an injury or illness is causing painful inflammation, a cold plunge can bring relief.

However, it’s important to make sure that you’re using cold plunges to relieve aching muscles, not to numb injuries. Soreness is okay, but pain is not.

Improve Your Mood and Focus

Cold plunges may have positive effects on your emotional well-being, as well. 

Another recent study showed that cold plunges can raise your dopamine level by 250% and your noradrenaline levels by 530%. 

Why does this matter? 

• Dopamine is the “feel good” hormone that brings feelings of happiness, alertness, and focus.  
• Noradrenaline helps regulate your body’s response to stress or danger, your “fight or flight” response. Low levels of noradrenaline are associated with anxiety and depression, while high levels are associated with increased attention, mood, memory, and focus. 

Another study showed that cold plungers reported decreased depression, anger, and fatigue in combination with increased vigor and self-esteem. 

If you’re considering a cold plunge for the positive emotional and mental benefits, you can maximize your results by adding a high-quality mood-supporting supplement such as Just Calm from Just Thrive. 

Just Calm is a scientifically proven psychobiotic—a probiotic containing bacterial strains proven to have a positive impact on psychological well-being. It also delivers bioavailable B vitamins, which balance cortisol and serotonin (“the happy hormone”). 

Paired with a cold plunge, Just Calm can help support a positive mood, promote stress management, and help you feel calmer and less stressed. 

Heighten Your Immunity

A recent study conducted in the Netherlands looked at the impact of cold showers on the immune system. 

Not surprisingly, it found that participants who ended their showers with 30-90 seconds of cold water took less sick days at work. 

In fact, they took 29% less sick days than participants who took showers with warm water. 

Although it wasn’t exactly a cold plunge, the immune-supporting effect of cold water is undeniable. 

Boost Your Metabolism

Cold plunges can also fire up your metabolism and help you lose weight. 

Your body burns calories to produce heat, a process known as thermogenesis. When you expose your body to the frigid waters of a cold plunge, your body has to expend energy to keep you warm. 

This is known as cold-induced thermogenesis, and it can increase your metabolism up to 350%. 

A one-time cold plunge or inconsistent practice is unlikely to have long-term metabolic effects. However, more cold plunging consistently can raise your metabolism often enough to help you manage or lose weight.

Cold Plunge Risks

Clearly, there are great benefits to cold plunges for everyone—not just athletes. 

But what are the risks? 

Frostbite and Hypothermia

Any time you expose your body to extreme cold for a period of time, you run the risk of frostbite or hypothermia. 

In the case of cold plunges, this can vary depending on the environment. For example, trudging through snow to an icy lake is a much different experience than stepping out of a frigid bath in the warmth and comfort of your home. 

You can lessen the risk of hypothermia or frostbite by making sure you have plenty of towels and warm, dry clothing nearby, especially for outdoor cold plunges.  

Reduced Strength and Muscle Growth

Despite the fact that athletes make up a large percentage of cold plungers, immersing yourself in cold water can actually have a negative effect on some aspects of your fitness. 

A 2021 study into cold plunges showed that long-term use of cold plunges for athletic performance decreased gains in muscle strength compared to those who don’t cold plunge. 

Another study showed that active recovery—low impact exercise such as walking—was more effective for increasing muscle mass and strength than cold plunging. 

However, if your main athletic focus is endurance training, cold plunges do not seem to have any negative impact. 

And, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t cold plunge at all if your main exercise goal is to increase your strength or to achieve muscle gains. Instead, you can choose to cold plunge a few hours or even the day after your exercise session. 

Other Risks

Your body will certainly respond to the sudden immersion in cold water, so there are other factors to keep in mind if you decide to start cold plunging. 

First, keep in mind your initial reaction to the shock of cold:

• Sudden increase in breathing rate
• Accelerated heart rate
• Sharp increase in blood pressure

If you have any cardiovascular issues, these intense physical burdens can lead to a cardiac event. 

If you have diabetes or skin conditions, you should cold plunge with caution. The cold water might numb your skin, impacting your ability to sense tissue damage until it’s too late. 

Finally, be aware of the possibility of becoming weak or fatigued if you spend too much in freezing water. The longer you stay in there, the loss of control you’ll have over your muscles which puts you at risk for drowning. 

Final Thoughts

Should you cold plunge? 

The decision will be different for everyone, but the answer is: it depends on your goal. 

Cold plunging can be effective if you want to: 

• Decrease muscle soreness or inflammation
• Improve your emotional or mental well-being
• Improve your immune response
• Rev up your metabolism

However, if your main workout goal is to increase your strength or muscle mass, then cold plunging might have an adverse effect. 

Consider your goals and compare cold plunge benefits and risks before you decide. 

You May Also Like…