Does Cold Immersion Therapy Work? Let's Dive In.

Cold plunging is…almost exactly what it sounds like: Immersing your body one way or another in super cold water. Some people do this by hopping in a tub full of ice water, some people take very cold showers, or some people dive into freezing cold lakes.
While a lot of people try to talk about this in very serious ways, calling it “cryotherapy” and extolling its health benefits in every outlet they can find, we were feeling skeptical about it. So we did what we always do - to the research!
Related HCT episodes:
Does Cold Weather Cause Colds? • Does Cold Weather Caus...
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[@j.dietrich]

It's important to note that immersion in cold water carries a risk of immersion pulmonary edema. Exposure to very cold water can have life-threatening consequences, even in healthy young people and even in carefully controlled circumstances.

[@HercadosP]

The least you can do in a paper is not have the authors be the subjects 💀

[@Ms.Pronounced_Name]

But they have the dual advantages of always being available and being perfectly honest!

[@reidflemingworldstoughestm1394]

Which is why I will never do a study on drinking Speyside single malts.

[@TenThumbsProductions]

What is amazing is companies made a ton of money selling people “cold plunge buckets” that are just plastic barrels to put ice and water in

[@RemizZ]

I'd put it in the same category as sauna + cold plunge. If anything, it's relaxing and *maybe* there's some meat on the theory that by forcing your body to first relax and then restrict your blood vessels a few times could be benefitial for your cardiovascular health.

[@grogblue]

Was curious about the result for athletic performance studies, and was hoping for some detail, but those were glossed over quickly. Chatter among friends seems to be positive for recovery, but skip if you're building strength. I didn't even realize this was somehow becoming a fad for general health purposes. Seems to be following the same path as other things where they have a benefit in a specific context, but people try to apply them in a general context with a lack of success.

[@BrianBest]

Throwing some cold water on cold immersion 😉

[@Tashishi0]

I have been curious about this. I've a friend who built himself his own cold immersion tub and uses it every morning. He swears by it - says it's helped a lot of his inflammation issues and some other things since he started using it daily and he feels great after. I haven't seen any real studies on it, though, so it's nice to know that it's not because my google skills failed me :D I hope some real studies get done on it. It would be interesting to know if there are real benefits/harms to it.

[@jamesclark6257]

I have back problems and can tell you for a fact it helps reduce inflammation. Generally stuff shinks in the cold so obviously becomes less inflamed. I only do it in the summer and it takes a few goes before I start to look forward to it. It's hard to get psyched enough to get in at first but you always feel great afterwards. Try it

[@jliller]

"says it's helped a lot of his inflammation issues" Cold Immersion Therapy is probably like chiropractors and CBD: it's useful for certain specific issues, but a bunch of quacks will tell you it cures everything.

[@bawilms]

This channel is a must!

[@Rettequetette]

Unfortunately, since I live in 'Ice Man's' country, AND close to one of the country's rivers, I run into 'ice bathing' people all the time. I try not to engage too much, but that can be very difficult because these people often act like they're in some kind of cult. Trying to convince me how healthy it is, yaddah yaddah yaddah. For all I know, it's not doing much. Yeah, you risk getting a heart attack. Some people don't know they have a heart condition until they try this. Thank you so much for making me feel not stupid and/or alone. Have a virtual hug from the Netherlands 🤗

[@mrdrprof8402]

So I've been doing this since I was a kid. Not for health mind you but just cause I find it exhilarating. Still one of my favorite feelings ever was being in a mountain hot springs in the winter an diving into the frozen river next to it.

[@FriendlyHugo]

I'd love to see a direct discussion between Dr Aaron Carroll and Dr Andrew Huberman. Having recently discovered the Huberman Labs podcast, I've already picked up a pro-cold-immersion view from Huberman (neuroscientist). I still need to go deeper - I listened to his first Dopamine-focused episode, not yet to any cold-immersion focused episode. I'd like to see how their views on "the data" contrasts - I can speculate the ways in which what Huberman is excited about, might not meet Healthcare Triage's requirements... but I'd like some actual insights into these differences, not just my speculations! 😊

[@cccircuit8296]

Cold emersion is good for mindset - yes you can walk through that 20 degree water. And there are major drawbacks, like hypothermia. I doubt there is much other benefit though if there is I would suspect it has to do with homeostasis of a body that routinely exercises in above 80 degree Fahrenheit conditions.

[@JaredisSword]

I wish you could’ve addressed the Soeberg study.

[@theoneandonlysoupemporium]

God, I love this channel

[@katiem.3109]

Yeah, in this age of misinformation, an evidence based channel like this is a wonderful thing.

[@kristensorensen2219]

We used to have cold plunge at the European Health Spa in the 70s through the 80s I used it whenever I went there at least 3 to 4 times every week. It was a great way to cool off and pump up the endorphins! Exercise on a regular schedule is more important for staying healthy than any fad.

[@amaraojiji]

I really want to see a proper study on mid term immune response after cold plunging. I was cured out of chronic respiratory deseases (~1.5 years of almost endless colds, hospitalizations, etc) by cold plunging when I was 5 yo. It is anectotical, but I saw my medical records, they was like 100+ pages per year and then suddenly dropped to 10-15. I understand that it's not a data, so I really want to see a simple study: weekly cold plunges for a year, control group with 26 °C, number of colds and flu in the year of study and ~3 month later. Shouldn't be too hard to conduct with proper volunteering. Can't make it blind, although.

[@Rebecca-ys3cb]

You’re not going to get one because it works. So if you really want to do a study you’d be best taking it up as a hobby and maybe starting a KZbin channel where people like you speak of your healings.. than people like me can watch you and learn how else’s it heals.

[@markplain2555]

I'm sorry, I just found myself in tears of laughter. Can you imagine throwing a lab rat into freezing water and the poor rat coming out thinking to itself, "WTF!!! can't you just give me drugs like control Group 2?? What is wrong with you humans, you are F$#@ sadists. Do you have any idea how terrible this feels. Please send me to the cosmetic testing group, somebody please turn on a hairdryer or something...."

[@victorialynnstruble]

I grew up in one of the northernmost parts of The American mainland, Now I live in one of the southernmost parts. I take cold showers because it's hot and it reminds me of home and while I feel it's good for me spiritually, I don't think it has any health benefits outside of preventing heat exhausted

[@l01230123]

Sounds reasonable, great video! I'd be interested in if you researched heat immersion as well. 😊

[@Praisethesunson]

Good idea. Saunas are great. Hot yoga seems like a dangerous scam.

[@Tetratronic]

Would be nice if Andrew Huberman would address these criticisms, because his claims are always so grandiose.

[@rgt4848]

Whatever. I have a cold shower in the morning, every second day, or so, and then have a hot cup of coffee. In a word, It is Awesome.

[@mhkhusyairi]

Thanks

[@healthcaretriage]

Thank you!!

[@djomlas888]

Mental benefits are the main reason for me

[@kevinclass2010]

Is it like a meditation/grounding technique?

[@djomlas888]

@@kevinclass2010 i guess you could call it grounding, but it's more like doing something you don't want to do and that sets your day up - you're ready to take on whatever the day brings, even if it's uncomfortable, at least you're more ready and awake than without it

[@mariposahorribilis]

On the same day that you released this the inquest on Nicola Bulley concluded in the UK. She did not have any organic disease and was of elderly. She died - almost immediately - when she fell into a river whose water was estimated to have a temperature of about 3C. So I am not even a tiny bit tempted to try this!

[@BarryPiper]

Oh common; you probably won't die!

[@jamesclark6257]

She likely went into cold water shock. If you warm up sufficiently before emersion, you won't go into shock.

[@paulkill8]

last years ago i fell on ice and hurt my lower back badly, cold bath (47f) for 3m 3-4x a week keep the pain away.

[@rebekkahschultz9615]

Are there many studies out there that investigate cold immersion for aclimatizing to colder climates? I thought I read somewhere you can use cold baths/showers to help you adjust faster, but I've only glossed one study about it. Sincerely, an almost lifelong Midwesterner that still hates cold

[@Vyse86]

It sounds like a good way to get an adrenaline rush.

[@Rettequetette]

Exactly. That's why it makes people feel good. There's not much more to it than that.

[@DaveSomething]

works or not, nope, not gonna do it!

[@billyb6001]

I wish you would go on andrew hubermann.

[@AnimalAce]

What about the wim hof method? Is that included in this or we justt talking only cold with no breathing technique?

[@liketheduck]

Where can we find Nick Browns work?

[@MegaTheBard]

Is this that Vegas nerve cold shock thing that I've been seeing where they plunge just their head/torso into ice water or are they separate fads?

[@laurakemp5979]

You can stimulate the Vagal nerve with a ice plunge of your face/head. It's one way to treat supraventricular tachycardia, but tends to only work with infants/small children. There's other way to stimulate the Vagal nerve, though.

[@markifi]

cool

[@hervevazeilles3790]

We don't have better data? Hundreds of thousands of nordic people had been doing it for centuries. Most cold climate people had been breaking ice to get to the liquid water to clean themselves most of their lives. But I guess there are many extremly common practice that where not studdied because they are just normal to people doing it.

[@GENIUSGT]

Latest trend? Hasn't this been around for centuries?

[@TenThumbsProductions]

I hate cold water, thank god this thing doesn’t work

[@lohphat]

I've been using a cold rinse (2 min) after each daily shower since Covid started. It's completely anecdotal I have yet to contract Covid (I also had all 5 vaccine doses) but what I have noticed is that my tolerance to cold temperature has increased. I don't get cold or shiver in 40 deg weather and just need a light jacket instead of a thick winter coat. Are there any studies about brown fat ratio changes or bone marrow stimulation due to cold plunging?

[@laurakemp5979]

I'd definitely want to know if there's any brown fat change.

[@benroberts2222]

I've also been intrigued by the potential that it makes a difference in brown fat. I would also caution, though, that I have anecdotal evidence to suggest that long-term response to cold water immersion may be detrimental to cold tolerance. I used to do a lot of SCUBA diving (in water for a couple hours over a day) and over time lost cold tolerance, requiring thicker wetsuits or switching to a drysuit as the years went on. I talked to a divemaster in Hawaii who used a 7mm wetsuit because he had experienced the same thing from doing it day in, day out. My own brief, irregular exposure to cold water in alpine lakes seems to help my cold tolerance, yet I don't know exactly how to reconcile it all. It seems like there may be a point at which the body's response is decompensatory?

[@jessicarosenberg433]

I'll stick to my sauna. It's nice and relaxing, if the evidence pans out that it's the best thing since sliced bread all the better😂

[@lohphat]

Do you realize that traditional Finnish and Swedish sauna culture included jumping into the snow or cold water after being in the sauna?

[@InexorableJoe]

I’m not a doctor, so i’ll ask: seems like this could be harmful to people with high blood pressure, yeah?

[@Fomites]

I don't care what the experimental results are - I'm not going to do it period.

[@km1dash6]

It's impossible to do a double blind study on cold immersion. I don't think there is evidence of harm, so that is a plus if you like it.

[@teenyweenyOwen]

Some of the studies did find detrimental effects, per the video. All the evidence is weak, but some of that evidence is evidence of harm.

[@BakeMan66]

My take is thst as soon as the mainstream medical community is confronted with anything that can affect their bottom line including pharmaceuticals. Let me get the pin to start poking holes in it. COVID-19 is a perfect example that science doesn't often know what it's doing or what the results actually mean. That is inarguable

[@mctrafik]

I was arguing about this w/ my late father my whole childhood. He wanted to take this up, but hated it, so he never did it. But he preached to everyone that they should do it. At some point, one of us read a simple argument against it: no centenials plunge themselves into freezing water...

[@amarug]

in Finland they do 😊

[@jonathanjarry]

If you want to read Nick Brown's detailed analysis of that cold water exposure paper that Dr. Carroll mentions, here's the link: steamtraen.blogspot.com/2023/03/some-interesting-discoveries-in-shared.html

[@plumokin5535]

Who approved that study? My college projects were scrutinized harder than this study lol

[@kts8900]

How is this the latest trend when I've been seeing people brag smugly about cold showers for way too long.

[@abqmalenurse]

Definitely not for me!! I get hypothermic very easily and always have. I was born and raised in Texas. I love heat. Even have a portable steam sauna.

[@ssdd28561]

I think that's exactly why you should try it - you will get the most bonuses of "getting used to temperatures" (unless you have some medical condition like Raynaud's disease or something). Why? You'll become comfortable during the unexpected cold temperatures, and that's it, but that's pretty cool. Just don't rush it. End your shower with 1-5 **seconds** of pouring cold water on your feet. After a week or two, try doing that for the legs below your knees. After a few months you'll be ok with dumping ice cold water on your head. Your body has no idea about outside temperature. Every sensor is located inside. (That's why there is no distinction between cold or wet). It is estimating the energy loss and judging "can we afford it, or should we shut down unimportant bits". Put a book and a spoon in a freezer, and they will be the same temperature, but the discomfort of holding them will be drastically different. After getting used to cold showers, your body will just get the idea, that "yeah, the energy loss is noticeable, but we are not in danger, this experience will be over quite soon, we have enough time to get to safety and to replenish the food resources". I've seen people who are virtually paralyzed by a small cold rain, who can't think straight until they drink a bathtub of hot coffee after. You don't have to be uncomfortable during the cold weather.

[@l01230123]

@@ssdd28561 That's extremely dangerous advice for someone prone to hypothermia. (Perhaps from a heart condition) You don't have to like the cold, I'm sure you understand how clothing and indoors works. No need for some weird routine. That spoon/book analogy was pretty funny though, and raincoats are for fools I guess 😅

[@katiem.3109]

It's interesting that there's so little evidence in favor of immersion in cold water, considering how prevalent the practice of ice baths is among athletes. When I did track for a year at a D3 college, we were encouraged to take ice baths to treat/prevent injuries. This also makes me wonder how much evidence there is to support using ice packs on injuries.

[@reidflemingworldstoughestm1394]

That study sounds like it was run by the Brexit authors.

[@rynaa-nj2vn]

Thank you so much for this video 😅..... I hate cold showers

[@mnoxman]

If you are looking for human cold immersion I direct your attention to Norway, Sweden, and Finland.

[@mekelius]

Snow swimming is also fun. Gotta make those bare-skin snow angels. Can't claim it does anything special for your health tho. But if you go to the icy lake don't immerse your head for god's sake. Unless you know what you're doing..

[@orehas45]

With all due respect, you make a wide claim that cold plunging shows no benefits, yet you spend 85% of the video debunking 1 Czech study that you decided to pick as a main topic of your video. IMHO, the only conclusion you are justified in making here is that the Czech study had lots of flaws and hence its conclusions are not supported by proper evidence.

[@l01230123]

It's called "an example." 85% in extremely inaccurate, and they couldn't find a decent study, unless you're a rodent.

[@justStardust940]

RIP Andrew Huberman. Glad I never bought the hype and torture myself for nothing LOL

[@PrestoJacobson]

"Welcome to the Huberman ad podcast"

[@danielfittipaldi3705]

Its the Joe Roganization of the world happening, a bunch of people talking about stuff they know nothing about

[@cheriebanks1434]

Blah blah blah blah blah... How about how it feels afterwards how you have breath that is cleared and comfortable alertness everything is better... Especially for a stroke

[@alfonso365]

Basically hype... just like intermittent fasting.

[@iLoveBigKnockers]

Intermittent fasting is just eating normally. Cold immersion actually does something. To call it hype is to call the mundane "crazy"

[@calestaiezu214]

I’m on a weight loss plan. I fast from 7pm to 7am. It has helped me lose almost 40 pounds. I’m also at a calorie deficit and eat minimal carbs. My doctor said the major key was the fasting due to how your body’s metabolism will fluctuate during the day. It has helped me so much and given me more energy than I’ve had in a long time. I was even able to stop drinking coffee!

[@paulpeterson4216]

It is nothing but a lack of data. There is little to no evidence, one way or the other. Simply dismissing the idea with no evidence to back your conclusion because that is your personal bias is no better than declaring the idea to be Gospel. And BTW, intermittent fasting is 1) effective for weight loss, and 2) being reasonably actively studied. The only real question anymore is whether there is an additional impact of the intermittent fasting specifically, or it's just another means of calorie restriction and all of the benefits just flow from eating less.

[@daveachuk]

@@calestaiezu214 7pm to 7am without eating? That's normal for like 90% of people? I think "Intermittent fasting" has been so watered down it has no meaning anymore. When I first heard about it, the term meant proper fasts of like 3-4 days. That has dramatic effects. Then people started claiming you could get the same benefits from just skipping a meal (not even close to the same). And now just a normal eating schedule is fasting? Apologies for my disbelief. I did multi-day fasts and had great results but low carb and as close to no sugar as possible is what really worked for me. That prevents the insulin spikes that cause hunger and fatigue when your short-term sugar stores run out. I think the point of skipping a meal (eg 18hour fast) is that it's a more manageable way of lowering calorie intake, because its easier to not get hungry. But 3 meals of calorie deficit eating is just as good. But all the same, good job and keep up whatever works for you!

[@CakeSublime]

I want Joe Rogan to watch this. Just to hear how he responds.

[@Jake-Day]

Please stop using the word “we” when referring to yourself and your own conclusions.

[@tallskinnygeek]

I think he has a team, with researchers and stuff

[@Torauth]

There's a credits section at the end of this video that says who the "we" are

[@doctaflo]

good grief, yes, of course he means the entire team, but besides that, the tone of the comment is so 🙄

[@l01230123]

Someone needs another cold bath 😉

[@davidgustavsson4000]

Uh oh, the cold bathers are here

[@MatthewHavertzPurposePictures]

Was this study analyzed? www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5025014/