Ice Bath Benefits: Science-Backed Reasons To Take The Cold Plunge

You know the shock that overwhelms your body (and soul) when you step into a cold shower? Well, research suggests there are physical and mental perks to cold exposure like soothing muscles, easing stress and fatigue, and—believe it or not—improving overall health.

Taking an ice bath, in which you purposefully submerge yourself in a tub of ice-cold water for a set period of time, is one technique that has a ton of benefits to its name.

Cold showers and ice baths are both examples of hormesis—positive stressors that cause the body to push beyond its comfort level and adapt physically and cognitively.

"The concept of hormesis is simply that if you apply a little bit of stress to a system it will get better," Mike T. Nelson, Ph.D., founder of Extreme Human Performance, previously told mindbodygreen.

Charles Tabone, N.D., a naturopathic practitioner with Pause Studio, explains that when our bodies are shocked by a drastic temperature change, our brains send a signal to the body that it's under stress and needs to respond accordingly.

Professional athletes who jump into ice baths post-workout are onto something. As shown in a 2022 meta-analysis1 published in the journal Sports Medicine, cold water exposure is beneficial for muscle recovery.

Lalitha McSorley, P.T., a physical therapist at Brentwood Physio not involved in the study, explains that the research presented in the analysis showed positive results "for muscle strength, perceived recovery, and reduced muscle soreness," as the drop in temperature reduces creatine kinases (enzymes released when muscle cells are damaged), reducing the effects of an injury.

"People are using deliberate cold exposure to reduce inflammation post-exercise and reduce inflammation generally, and people are also using cold to enhance performance in the context of strength training and endurance training," Stanford neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, Ph.D. says on the Huberman Lab Podcast.

However, as exercise physiologist Ben Greenfield explains on the mindbodygreen podcast, ideally you'll wait at least two hours after exercising to take your plunge. This gives your body enough time to build new mitochondria2 after the stress of exercise.

Taking a deliberate dip in an ice bath can also help you cope with taxing emotions like stress and anxiety.

"A study3 published in the journal JMIR Formative Research found that cold temperatures during an immersion bath can stimulate your vagus nerve," Laura DeCesaris, a functional medicine expert, tells mbg, adding that "stimulation of this nerve has been shown to help you relax and de-stress."

Taking regular ice baths can also activate cellular mechanisms and signaling pathways that shift the way you react to stress and make you more mentally resilient moving forward.

Taking a dip in freezing cold water might not sound like a mood-boosting activity, but science says otherwise. Cold water immersion triggers the release of a variety of neurotransmitters6, among them dopamine7, a happy hormone that elicits feelings of pleasure.

Immersing yourself in the freezing cold is also bound to give you a nice jolt of energy that you can carry with you into your day; one reason that sleep expert Michael J. Breus, Ph.D. starts every morning with a quick cold therapy session.

Cold immersion does increase metabolism,8 and there is data to suggest9 that ongoing cold exposure can help convert white fat to more metabolically healthy beige or brown fat.

However, "more data needs to be seen as to possible long-term metabolic impacts of cold immersion over time," DeCesaris tells mbg. "One session here or there is likely not frequent enough to have a significant impact on body composition or metabolism."

When gearing up for your first ice bath (whether in a studio, a cold lake, your bathtub, or an at-home cold plunge tub), it's important to remember that, physical discomfort aside, it's largely a mental obstacle. To prepare, Tabone suggests leaning into that mental game, and viewing it as such, with barriers to overcome.

"Start with the commitment to get in, then with the act of calming the physiological response to the cold," he says. "[Once you've jumped those hurdles], focus on the ability to maintain parasympathetic tone" (a state of relaxation) "and lastly, the willpower to remain for a few more breaths after your brain tells you to get out." 

Most ice bath protocols recommend submerging your body from the neck down, in water that is approximately 50-59 degrees Fahrenheit. Your breath can be an ally as you brave the cold, and incorporating breathwork techniques like the Wim Hof method might help you out.

Cold showers are another method of cold water exposure, but they're not one and the same as ice baths. Depending on the time of year and your geographic location, Tabone says showers might not be able to get as cold as ice baths.

Ice baths aren't for everyone, and I don't just mean in the figurative sense. DeCesaris suggests anyone with circulation issues or diseases (like Raynaud's syndrome), peripheral vascular disease, who is or may be pregnant, who has a history of frostbite, who has open wounds, who's had recent surgeries or heart problems consult with a doctor before taking an ice bath.

That said, even those who are cleared by a professional to practice cold water immersion need to be aware of its side effects. For example, even if you are capable of staying in the bath for long periods of time, DeCesaris warns that prolonged exposure to the cold can put you at risk for hypothermia or frostbite.

Prolonged exposure can also lead to heart palpitations and other cardiovascular events,10 DeCesaris notes, as ice can "constrict the blood vessels, raise the heart rate and stress hormones." If you start to experience any of these symptoms, it's a sign to cut back.

There are many unanswered questions about ice baths just waiting to be rigorously researched. One that DeCesaris is most interested in is the effect of cold plunging on menstruation and whether it is most beneficial to spend more or less time in the water, depending on the menstrual cycle phase.

"Since we know the hormone profile of women is changing throughout a cycle, it would be prudent, I think, for women to see how they feel trying cold water immersion early in their cycle versus later," DeCesaris tells mbg. "Women can be more prone to higher cortisol and less resilience leading up to their period, and a cold plunge may 'feel' more difficult here. I'd love to see a body of research on this in the future."

The science-backed health benefits of taking brief ice baths (2-4 times a week, for 1-5 minutes at a time) are pretty fascinating. Cold therapy is beneficial for mental health and resilience, exercise recovery, and mood and energy, and it may be helpful for skin health and weight loss when done consistently, too.