Cold Exposure 101: Why Would I Do An Ice Bath?
4-Minute Read
Ice baths have become a bit of a buzz word. They have popped up all over Sydney beaches.
The question is are they just some wellness woo woo fad, or do they actually have some scientific basis behind them?
Honestly, ice baths changed my life. I know, that’s a dramatic statement, but it’s true.
Ice baths are a fantastic tool but there are a couple factors to their effectiveness. In this article, we will discuss both my personal experience, the science behind cold exposure and what I have learned from helping over 2000 people experience their very first ice bath.
My Personal Ice Bath Journey
Early last year, I was going through a bit of a rough time. I have spoken about my battle with my menstrual cycle and as a result, the depression and anxiety as part of that. Last year, my menstrual cycle each month was causing me to feel heavily depressed two weeks of each month, this was within the luteal phase or high hormone phase.
So I started to search for a natural way of improving my hormones, depression, back pain and meet like minded individuals.
Throughout covid, I would go for a dip in the ocean in the middle of winter. At that point, I didn’t know what I was actually doing. All I knew, was that afterwards I felt alive. I felt connected to myself and I felt more capable of tackling the day.
I had heard of ice baths, but never done one. I really wanted to see if I was mentally strong enough to do one. So I sought out a place in Sydney I could try an ice bath.
Much like many of you who come to my community ice baths each week, I was terrified. I mean, when you think about it, we must be pretty crazy to be voluntarily submerging ourselves into a bucket of ice.
I remember being outside in the middle of winter, stepping into the ice bath and having the wind knocked out of me. I couldn’t breathe. The pain was running through my whole body. But for some reason, I felt alive. The pain was pleasant in a weird sense.
Depression numbs you, the shock of the ice bath, smacked me in the face and woke me up. I got out of the ice bath and it felt like I had taken some kind of drug. Dopamine was coursing through my body and I felt happy for the first time in a long time.
It was the one thing each week I looked forward to. But it wasn’t just the ice bath, it was connecting to likeminded people. As well as, being in nature, and it gave me a reason to jump out of bed.
What is Cold Exposure?
Cold exposure is a practice that, quite literally, involves exposing your body to cold temperatures, below 15*c. Now, I must emphasize that it's not merely a fad; it is grounded in science. When you submerge yourself in cold water, a number of changes happen within your body.
Firstly, your body strives to maintain a stable core temperature (homeostasis). So, when you expose it to cold, a series of intricate responses are triggered. Your blood vessels constrict, reducing blood flow to your extremities to preserve warmth at your core. This reaction, known as vasoconstriction, helps conserve energy and prevent hypothermia. This causes an imbalance within the bodies system forcing it to adapt to this stressor.
Prolonged cold exposure, also causes the release of dopamine. Dopamine, helps to elevate mood, enhance focus, attention and move you towards goal directed behaviour. Coupled with the release of adrenaline, this may account for feeling ‘high’, happy or incredible after stepping out of an ice bath.
But that's just the beginning. Cold exposure has profound effects on your nervous system, immune system, and as we just spoke about even your mood. It can enhance your resilience to stress, boost your metabolism, and improve circulation.
Mental Resilience
“Through the cold, you learn how to master your mind.”
By forcing yourself to get uncomfortable and stress the body in a safe environment, it helps build resilience. We spend a lot of our lives in temperature controlled environments. We no longer experience the severity of cold winters or hot summers as we have ways of moderating our temperature. The problem with this is our bodies don’t learn to adapt. We become creatures of comfort.
As humans we cannot escape stress. If you are unaccustomed to handling life's daily pressures, it can leave you feeling vulnerable. When unexpected challenges arise, like workplace issues, disagreements with a loved one, or even falling ill, your ability to bounce back may be limited. These situations have the potential to disrupt your equilibrium and leave you feeling derailed.
By consciously choosing to expose yourself to discomfort, you are learning to handle stress in a healthy manner.
You are learning to build resilience. In the last episode of the Mind-Body Revolution Podcast, we interviewed Sonny. He is a prime example of how ice baths build resilience. He told his story of how he went from being unable to sleep at night, needing a 1/4 of a sleeping tablet, to falling asleep with ease each night. Through breathwork and exposure to stressors like the cold in a safe environment, he has built his tolerance to stress and discomfort. This has had a flow on affect into all areas of his life.
As Andrew Huberman explains, the practice of cold exposure operates through a top-down approach, a mechanism closely linked to resilience and grit. This approach engages your pre-frontal cortex, a brain region responsible for planning and controlling impulsive behaviour. Through dedicated practice, such as cold exposure, you can refine and strengthen this top-down approach, enabling you to better confront life's challenges with a composed and deliberate mindset. This enhanced mental fortitude can significantly impact various facets of your daily life, equipping you with improved coping skills and enhanced mental clarity when dealing with real-world stressors.
As you sit in the tub and your mind yells, ‘get me out of here,’ and you hear my gentle voice saying, you can do it, only 1 minute to go. You know that you are building your mental strength and grit. The pain is worth it in the long run!
Sports Recovery
When I say ice bath what do you think of?
In Australia quite commonly its rugby boys jumping in ice after a footy game. When Dr Norman Swan with the ABC came and interviewed me at our community ice baths, this is exactly what he thought. He thought we were all getting together at 6am at Bronte beach on a Sunday for muscle recovery. However, as I’ve explained so far there are many more benefits to an ice bath than muscle recovery.
According to a meta-analysis of cold water immersion effects on recovery, the paper showed, ice baths are an effective tool for recovery when it comes to high intensity exercise and endurance training. Good news is, you only need to expose yourself to the cold for less than 5 minutes. This was enough, to provide a positive outcome for muscle power, perceived recovery and decreased muscle soreness.
However, when it comes to hypertrophy, or strength it is best to wait 4 hours, even 6-8 hours before immersing yourself in the cold. This is because, cold water can impact muscle growth.
Another option, which I love is an ice bath or cold exposure before exercise. As it boosts energy. Because cold exposure helps to release adrenaline and noradrenaline in the body. These neurochemicals help you feel alert and wanting to move. It has been shown that the levels of of these neurochemicals may stay elevated for some time helping to increase energy and focus which you can use in mental or physical activities.
Should I Ice Bath Alone?
Through my own personal and professional experience, the key factor isn’t just the cold exposure, it’s the community.
It’s how you prepare yourself for the icebath. For example, the type of breathwork, or whether you do breathwork at all. As well as, the environment you’re doing in it. Do you feel safe and supported?
I have done cold exposure by myself I can tell you it sucks. It is 10x harder. When you have people around you who genuinely want to support you, to help you and encourage you, it makes the experience that much more potent.
Following our ice bath sessions, our community routinely gathers for coffee and a chat. Observing our community members connect over their shared experiences, forge new friendships, and even witness the spark of budding romances, has undeniably become the most cherished highlight of my week.
Don’t tell anyone, if I’m honest, my favorite part isn’t the ice bath, but the hashbrown and coffee afterwards.
If you are a bit nervous, but curious to try an ice bath. You are not alone. Our community is here to support you through a safe, invigorating and memorable ice bath experience.
We are down at Bronte beach every week at 6am on a Sunday, we would love to have you come join our community.
