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Lifestyle Are ice baths worth the pain? Research suggests more studies need to be done about ice baths to understand the benefits
The Real Impact Of Ice Baths On Your Health Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
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The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference. Read more From Joe Rogan to Jennifer Aniston, numerous celebrities, influencers and athletes have been extolling the benefits of ice baths and cold plunges for years.
Cold-water immersions have become a famous trend. Its proponents say it reduces stress, softens the degree of exercise-induced muscle damage and supports immune system function.
However, new research has revealed that it may not be as beneficial as it seems.
One recent analysis, published by the PLOS One journal and conducted by researchers at the University of South Australia, examines data from 11 studies with 3,177 people who did the cold plunge. Each participant was in water, whether a bath or shower, that was at 15 degrees Celsius or less for at least 30 seconds.
The results were eye-opening, especially regarding the impact of ice baths on inflammation. While cold-water immersion is said to reduce inflammation, the new study found that it did the opposite.
“A significant increase in inflammation immediately and one hour” after the ritual was found. Instead, researchers state that immersions leads to “an acute inflammatory response.”
“At first glance this seems contradictory, as we know that ice baths are regularly used by elite athletes to reduce inflammation and muscle soreness after exercise,” the study’s co-author, Ben Singh, said in a press release .
“The immediate spike in inflammation is the body’s reaction to the cold as a stressor. It helps the body adapt and recover and is similar to how exercise causes muscle damage before making muscles stronger, which is why athletes use it despite the short-term increase.”
New research finds that cold water immersions may not reduce inflammation (Getty Images) “Knowing this, people with pre-existing health conditions should take extra care if participating in cold-water immersion experiences as the initial inflammation could have detrimental health impacts,” he added.
The study did find some benefits of immersion, like “a significant reduction in stress 12 hours” after it was done. But, a significant reduction in stress was not discovered immediately, one hour, 24 hours, or 48 hours after immersion.
There was also a “29 percent reduction in sickness absence among participants who took cold showers” in the analysis.
However, researchers said that more work still needs to be done to understand all the effects of immersion.
“Whether you are an elite athlete or everyday wellness seeker – it’s important to understand the effects of what you put your body through,” Cain added.
“Right now, there isn’t enough high-quality research to say exactly who benefits most or what the ideal approach is to cold-water immersion. More long-term studies, among more diverse populations, are needed to understand its lasting effects and practical applications.”
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