Fan of ice baths? You may be making a key mistake in your recovery session
Ice baths are one of those concepts that spring to mind when the topic of ‘wellness’ arises – alongside trends like infrared sauna and lymphatic drainage.
If you haven’t tried the cold plunge yourself, you’re likely familiar with the sight of people sitting stoically in huge tubs of iced water, via your social feeds, at the gym or even on your nearest beach.
There’s an element of cold water immersion that experts no longer recommend. iStock
There’s no denying the popularity of the practice – some devotees are even DIY-ing it at home using wheelie bins – but there’s an element of the cold plunge experts have changed their tune on, and it’s all in the timing.
“We might have got a little carried away about how beneficial ice baths were,” physiotherapist Tim Dettmann explained on Today.
“They make you feel good, and give you a little bit of adrenaline and some endorphins. But one of the mistakes we definitely made is recommending people hop into ice baths after they’ve ... done a big ride or run or a gym workout.
“These days we don’t [suggest it], because ... it slows down your protein synthesis.”
Among elite athletes, cold water immersion has become a recovery habit – you might have glimpsed behind-the-scenes footage of footballers sitting in ice baths after their games.
However, Dettmann says there’s even been a shift away from the practice in the professional sporting world.
“There’s probably not as many ice baths in professional sport as you think,” he said.
“If [athletes are] playing two days in a row they will [take an ice bath] because it’ll lower inflammation.
“But quite often now, elite sportspeople … they’ll hop straight into a sauna afterwards to try and improve their gains.”
This isn’t the only word of caution experts have issued around the cold plunge practice.
The University of New South Wales’ Samuel Cornell and Michael Tipton previously outlined some of the health risks of ice baths for certain people, and when not used correctly.
Immersion in cold water (below 15°C) triggers a physiological response called cold shock, which can affect one’s heart rate, breathing and blood pressure.
“The body isn’t designed to endure freezing water for extended periods,” they wrote, saying even young, healthy people “can be caught off-guard” by the impacts.
“We might have got a little carried away about how beneficial ice baths were,” physiotherapist Tim Dettmann said. iStock
Spending too long in ice-cold water can lead to hypothermia, and in some cases ‘cold shock’ can lead to a heart attack or stroke, particular for people with undiagnosed conditions impacting the heart, blood vessels and brain.
“Even after you get out, your core temperature can continue to fall – a phenomenon known as afterdrop. So you can encounter problems, such as collapse, even after leaving the water,” Cornell and Tipton wrote.
“Cold exposure can also cause long-term damage to nerves and blood vessels in the hands and feet, known as non-freezing cold injury. This is more likely if someone spends an extended period immersed in cold water.”
