{"id":299888,"date":"2025-11-22T15:46:26","date_gmt":"2025-11-22T15:46:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/299888\/"},"modified":"2025-11-22T15:46:26","modified_gmt":"2025-11-22T15:46:26","slug":"thinking-of-trying-a-cold-plunge-heres-what-the-science-says-happens-to-your-body","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/299888\/","title":{"rendered":"Thinking of Trying a Cold Plunge? Here\u2019s What the Science Says Happens to Your Body"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\" <\/a>Image credits: GoToVan.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, swimming is all about freedom and weightlessness,\u201d says Ella Foote, editor of Outdoor Swimming Magazine, the world\u2019s only print publication dedicated entirely to open-water swimming.<\/p>\n

Foote is passionate about swimming outdoors, especially in the United Kingdom\u2019s chilly waters.\u201cWinter can feel dull and lifeless here,\u201d she admits. \u201cBut since I\u2019ve started swimming outside year-round, I see it differently. It\u2019s become a way to connect with nature, even in the cold.\u201d<\/p>\n

Throughout the cold months, Ella makes a point to swim at least once a week. That consistency, she notes, makes all the difference. \u201cIt\u2019s like going to the gym; if you go often, you start to love it. But if you only do it occasionally, you just end up wondering why anyone would.\u201d<\/p>\n

But what actually happens to your body when you plunge into freezing water? Why does something so unpleasant turn into such a satisfying high afterward? Turns out, there\u2019s some real science behind that.<\/p>\n

The Science of the Cold Plunge<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you first jump into cold water, whether it\u2019s a plunge, a shower, or a swim, your body experiences what\u2019s called the cold shock response,\u201d explains Dr. Stephen Sau-Shing Cheung<\/a>, from Brock University.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis happens when your skin temperature suddenly drops from warm to cold. It triggers your fight-or-flight response, preparing your body for action,\u201d he told ZME Science.<\/p>\n

Cheung notes that the sympathetic nervous system activates aggressively, flooding your body with adrenaline. It is the same kind of intense physiological arousal you would experience if you were suddenly startled or injured.<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/a>Image credits: David Bledsoe.<\/p>\n

However, this response is more than just an adrenaline rush; it can be a critical, even life-threatening event, particularly for people with underlying heart conditions. From a medical perspective, your body quickly shifts to a faster heart rate, higher blood pressure, and shortness of breath.<\/p>\n

This creates a physiological paradox known as \u201cautonomic conflict.\u201d The cold shock triggers a signal to accelerate the heart (tachycardia), while the \u2018diving response\u2019 sends a powerful \u2018brake\u2019 signal to slow the heart down. This conflict places the heart in an unstable state and can cause severe cardiac arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats). In rare cases, it can cause sudden cardiac death<\/a>, even in young, fit, and healthy individuals.<\/p>\n

However, in many cases, and especially for swimmers like Ella, that physiological jolt comes with mental and emotional benefits. \u201cIf I swim on a winter morning, I\u2019m more productive, I sleep better, and I\u2019m generally in a better mood,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s even more encouraging, she adds, is that you don\u2019t have to spend long in freezing water to feel the effects. \u201cJust a couple of minutes, two to five, really, is enough to get most of the benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Cheung insists there isn\u2019t any solid scientific evidence to support many of the purported long-term physiological health benefits. Furthermore, the cold plunge is very risky for the uninitiated and unhabituated.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you have a known heart condition or poor circulation, it\u2019s important to be cautious,\u201d Dr. Cheung warns. \u201cAt the very least, check with your doctor first and get a physical before trying it, because it does put stress on the heart, especially if you already have an underlying issue.\u201d<\/p>\n

Your Body on Cold Water<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/a>Image via Wiki Commons.<\/p>\n

So, if there are risks, why do people like Ella report feeling so good? The answer lies in a process known as hormesis<\/a>, where a low-dose, acute stressor induces beneficial, adaptive responses that enhance resilience.<\/p>\n

For starters, repeated, controlled exposures (as few as<\/a> six 3-minute immersions) can help the body mitigate these dangerous reflexes. This is called habituation. The physiological effects are profound and many of the health hazards are minimized (though not eliminated).<\/p>\n

But what about the physiological benefits?<\/p>\n

It turns out, many of the claims are based on relatively small-scale studies<\/a>, and the scientific evidence is unclear.<\/p>\n

For instance, observational studies<\/a> note that regular swimmers report fewer infections, but this is plagued by a \u201chealthy user bias\u201d\u2014it\u2019s unclear if the swimming makes people healthy, or if only healthy people choose to do it. Cold exposure is a well-known activator of the Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT), a special \u201cburning\u201d tissue that generates heat by consuming glucose and lipids. Repeated exposure can turn \u201cstorage\u201d fat into \u201cburning\u201d fat, but contrary to popular belief, this doesn\u2019t always lead to fat loss.<\/p>\n

The most robustly supported long-term benefit is the one Ella describes: a profound effect on mood. The science provides a clear neurochemical basis for this. One study examining the hormonal response<\/a> to one hour of cold water immersion (at 14\u00b0C or 57\u00b0F) found a massive 530% increase in plasma noradrenaline (norepinephrine).<\/p>\n

This massive surge probably explains why people feel so good after cold swimming. Noradrenaline is a key neurotransmitter for arousal, vigilance, and focus, producing the feeling of being \u201cwide awake\u201d and cognitively sharp. Dopamine<\/a> is the primary neurotransmitter of the brain\u2019s reward and motivation circuits, providing a powerful feeling of pleasure, satisfaction, and elevated mood that explains the practice\u2019s \u201cantidepressant effect\u201d.<\/p>\n

Winter Swimming Tips<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/a>The Winter Swimming World Championships in 2014. However, outdoor swimming is much more popular as an amateur activity. Image via Wiki Commons.<\/p>\n

Then, there\u2019s also the subjective experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cOutdoor swimming often feels spontaneous, something you do on a sunny day,\u201d says Ella. \u201cWinter swimming is different. You need to plan ahead: get in, enjoy it, and get out safely.\u201d<\/p>\n

She emphasizes the importance of knowing your own body. \u201cGo regularly and pay attention to how you feel. Take notes if it helps, learn what works for you. Don\u2019t stay in too long, because of something called \u2018afterdrop.\u2019 That\u2019s when your body keeps cooling even after you\u2019re out. We call the first few minutes after a swim the \u2018honeymoon period.\u2019 You feel amazing and alive, but it\u2019s actually the crucial time to get dry, put on warm clothes, and sip a hot drink before chatting with others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cheung recommends never going alone. This is more than just a safety thing; it makes the entire activity more enjoyable. \u201cCold bathing in a social environment gives you connection, and it gets you out of the house on a chilly day. Those are some of the added benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also issues a strong warning about alcohol: \u201cDon\u2019t mix alcohol with cold swimming. It dulls your sensations, so you don\u2019t respond as well if an emergency arises, the kind of signals your body gives in cold water. Alcohol also keeps your blood vessels and skin wide open, which makes you feel warm and flushed, but it actually causes you to lose heat faster.\u201d <\/p>\n

Lastly, it\u2019s always recommended to have a quick way to dry and reheat. Hot drinks are always welcome after a cold swim.<\/p>\n

For those prepared and respectful of the risks, a cold plunge can be more than a shock. It\u2019s an invigorating reset\u2014one that wakes up the body, sharpens the mind, and leaves many swimmers riding a natural high for the rest of the day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Image credits: GoToVan. \u201cFor me, swimming is all about freedom and weightlessness,\u201d says Ella Foote, editor of Outdoor…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":299889,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[134741,49,48,134742,134743,134744,134745,84,134746,393,90166,134747,134748],"class_list":["post-299888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-brown-adipose-tissue","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-cold-exposure-science","tag-cold-plunge","tag-cold-shock-response","tag-cold-water-swimming","tag-health","tag-hormesis","tag-mental-health","tag-norepinephrine","tag-outdoor-swimming","tag-winter-swimming"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299888","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=299888"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299888\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/299889"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=299888"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=299888"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=299888"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}