Cold Plunge

Cold temperatures constrict blood vessels, which can help flush lactic acid and other waste products out of muscles as your body attempts to preserve heat by sending blood to vital organs. When you get out of the cold water, blood vessels dilate (open up). Freshly oxygenated blood now circulates back to your muscles, exchanging lactic acid, toxins and other metabolic waste for nutrients (4).

Intense exercise causes damage to your muscle fibers. But you might not feel sore until a day or so later. This is called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Researchers measured both DOMS and muscle weakness in elite athletes following strenuous workouts found that contrast bath therapy improved both the soreness and weakness better than passive resting alone (5). Less damage leads to less inflammation, which in turn reduces soreness and helps restore physical performance the next day (6). Recover hard, train harder!

The cold activates thermogenesis (shivering), a way for the body to produce heat and warm itself up. It’s like doing 1,000 micro muscle contractions, which burns calories! The boost metabolism is due to the activation of brown adipose tissue (BAT), a form of fat that burns white fat for heat generation.

“I got 99 problems, but when I’m in the cold there’s only 1!” In the cold, your norepinephrine levels will spike 530% as you deeply breathe and only focus on the task at hand. Norepinephrine is your molecule associated with focus, attention, vigilance and mood (8). Meanwhile, as part of the cold shock response, your  blood will constrict, temporarily increasing blood pressure, making you feel more alive and alert. Think of the cold as your body’s natural espresso shot!

Cold exposure triggers a release of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, cortisol, dopamine by 250%, norepinephrine by 530%, and endorphins, which play a crucial role in emotion regulation, stress regulation, and reward processing. Deficits in these neurotransmitters have been reported as critical factors in developing psychiatric disorders such as depression, and anxiety (9). Many antidepressants work to increase the amount of dopamine, serotonin or norepinephrine in your synapses, but you can naturally boost these neurochemicals by stepping in the cold!

Cold water immersion has been shown to activate the immune system. Immune cells such as lymphocytes, leukocytes, t-helper and NK cells are mobilized to fight off infection when triggered by the cold (10). This mobilization along with increased circulation, allows your body to bring its fighters to where they need to be to stave off infection!

Cold exposure can reduce the production and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), which are known to contribute to chronic inflammation. By lowering the production of these inflammatory markers, ice baths may help reduce the overall inflammatory burden on the body (11).

When you take the plunge, the chilled water instantly numbs the nerves that surround your joints and muscles, causing the release of hormones and endorphins. The release of hormones and endorphins acts as an analgesic, which relieves inflammation and alleviates muscle and joint pain. Much like an icy-hot, the cold also interferes with your brain’s perception of pain and dulls pain nerve transmissions, providing your body with pain relief (12).

Cold exposure stimulates vasoconstriction and subsequent vasodilation, leading to enhanced circulation. Think of this like a pump that helps return venous blood back to the heart and circulate lymphatic fluid throughout the body. The alternating constriction and dilation of blood vessels improves blood flow, nutrient delivery, and waste product removal. Additionally, this "pumping" effect on the lymphatic system can facilitate the removal of waste products and toxins, further aiding in reducing inflammation and promoting overall detoxification, which can get backed up due to a lack of muscle movement or an inefficient lymphatic system.

Rheumatic conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA), are characterized by chronic inflammation in the joints. The cold can offer temporary relief by reducing pain and inflammation associated with these conditions. Cold therapy has long been used as a conservative treatment option to manage joint inflammation and provide symptomatic relief (14).

1. Studies show that people with ADHD have a natural deficiency of norepinephrine and dopamine levels (15). Cold plunging helps bolster both of these neurochemicals in a natural way that increases alertness and can support with management of ADD & ADHD. 

When you’re exposed to the cold, the body releases cold shock proteins known as RNA binding motif 3 (RBM3), which are directly linked to regeneration of synapses in the human brain. Synapses are gaps between neurons through which our neurons communicate, and are responsible for normal brain function and how we form memories. This effectively means that cold water therapy could play a role in decreasing the degeneration of our neurons, have a protective effect against traumatic brain injuries and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s (16).

Learning how to control your nervous system is the strongest, most powerful aspect of cold plunging. Because your nervous system controls every tissue and every cell in your body. It's the ultimate brain-body connection. But more importantly, your nervous system also controls your perceptions and your thoughts. And you have actual direct access to where you are in time and space in your nervous system by the way you breathe. There are two things that hold you back in life: Fear and Pain. Step into both and let our experienced coaches teach you how to breathe through intensive situations!