Cold Plunges

Help your body chill with a quick dip in frigid temps.

Ice bottles are popping off on social, with athletes, biohackers, celebs and beyond hailing them for the wellness perks. The thinking is, when you dip for several minutes in frigid water, the sudden change to your body temp can ignite physiological processes that lead to wins such as improved athletic performance, a revved-up metabolism and a perkier mood.

Brands like Pola Cold Plunge, Pro-Elite Ice Pod, Dip ColdPod and Revive Ice Bath GO are making the practice easier to execute at home with refillable, insulated "pods" that fit one person and keep the water chilly  (budget around R2,000 or more).

Sounds like a practice with payoffs, right? Know that the research on cold-water immersion is still limited, and any too-good-to-be-true claims (like freezing away fat and transforming metabolism) are just that. But experts agree there may be mental and physical takeaways from bracing the cold that make it worth a shot...

It soothes your achy muscles

TRUE FOR SOME

A quick icy dunk causes blood vessels to constrict, decreasing blood flow to muscles and reducing swelling. The evidence that this reduces muscle soreness is mostly anecdotal, says Kelcie Wittman, a clinical specialist in sports physical therapy. Plus, for most, the recovery benefits "are small and in the short term," adds physical therapist Dr Leada Malek. When you go in also matters. Cold plunging may actually blunt muscle growth immediately post-training, research shows. For max benefits, wait 48 hours after strength training to plunge.

It boosts athletic performance

IT'S POSSIBLE

The strongest evidence out there supports the idea that cold plunges can "improve your rate of perceived exertion," says Wittman. In other words, plunging regularly may make you feel you need to put in less effort to achieve the same level of performance. Note, though, that this is a subjective measure; it's not clear whether there is a physiological benefit happening (but the mind is powerfull!!). The water has to be between 10 and 17°, and you should sit in it for only 5 to 10 minutes. Start at a higher temperature for five minutes, then go lower and longer if you can. 

It improves mental well-being

MAYBE

Researchers and docs don't fully understand the brain effects of these dips. But "there is plenty of anecdotal evidence from people who feel like they have elevated mood and energy afterward," says Dr Elizabeth Gardner, an associate professor of orthopaedic surgery at Yale  School of Medicine. "It's probably an endorphin-mediated pathway." In other words, the act of shivering in the tub and conquering something hard may help produce the same feel-good hormones as, say, your morning run - which could make you feel ready to take on the world. Maybe you should take a dip!

H E A L T H  S C A N

Check with your doctor before dipping in, especially if you have poor circulation or a heart condition. The same goes for people who take beta blockers; the meds make it harder for the body to adapt to a sudden temperature drop.