TRY THE COLD PLUNGE TO ENHANCE YOUR WELL-BEING

TRY THE COLD PLUNGE TO ENHANCE YOUR WELL-BEING

The Cold Pool: What is it for?

The cold plunge pool is the newest item on the growing list of great things offered at some gyms and spas. Cold Plunge Pools, otherwise known as cold-water immersion or “cryotherapy” baths, are popular among professional athletes, as they have been reported to reduce muscle inflammation and pain after exercise, as well as speed recovery time. In fact, people in Russia and Scandinavia have been taking so-called polar bear plunges for centuries, often right after coming out of a hot sauna. They claim the cold water is invigorating and energizing.

The Physiology behind Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy is the use of cold temperature in the treatment of a number of ailments. In the world of athletics, cryotherapy is often used in conjunction with heat, which is known as contrast therapy. In response to the cold, the blood vessels constrict and decrease flow, which is then counteracted by heat which opens the vessels causing a marked increase in blood flow. The model of contrast therapy is similar to that of releasing a crimped garden hose. Moving from hot to cold causes surges of blood flow to the muscle which brings in oxygen, nutrients and growth factors and clears out waste products (detoxification) following exercise.
Reduce Muscle Soreness

Regular cold water and ice baths is a popular technique among amateur and professional athletes, as it is thought to help reduce muscle inflammation and pain after exercise, as well as speed recovery time.

Indeed, after analyzing 17 trials involving over 360 people who either rested or immersed themselves in cold water after resistance training, cycling or running, researchers found the cold-water baths were much more effective in relieving sore muscles one to four days after exercise. Most of the studies involved a water temperature of 10-15 degrees C (50-59 degrees F).

Mood Booster

One of the most supportive benefits of contrast therapy is the hormone response that is stimulated by the cold. Namely, the sympathetic nervous system releases hormones promoting the fight or flight response, which makes you feel alert and invigorated. In a study of whole body cold therapy on psychological factors, the cold therapy significantly improved mood and feelings of quality of life. If the plunge pool is kept at 55° it will shock your body to some degree (and that’s part of the reason it’s beneficial).

 
Cold Water May Help You Activate Beneficial Brown Fat & Aid Weight Loss

Scientists found that they were able to activate brown fat in adult men by exposing them to cold temperatures. Brown fat is a heat-generating type of fat that burns energy instead of storing it, and this may have important implications when it comes to weight loss.

Human newborns have a supply of brown fat to keep warm, but by adulthood they lose most of it. Brown fat has been located in the neck area, around blood vessels (helping to warm your blood), and "marbled" in with white fat in visceral fat tissue. The study found men burned more calories when cooled, and lost white fat, the kind that causes obesity.

It seems that human brown fat actually combust fat to release heat. Scientists have demonstrate that metabolism in brown fat really is increased when adult humans are exposed to cold. This boosts the possibility that calorie combustion in brown fat may be of significance for our metabolism and, correspondingly, that the absence of brown fat may increase our proneness to obesity. Swedish scientists also found that cold temperatures increased the activity in the subjects' brown fat regions. In fact, researchers estimate that just 50g of brown fat (which is less than what most people have) could burn about 20 percent or more of your daily caloric intake.

Cold Plunges Increase Your Stress Tolerance & Fights Disease

Exposing your whole body to cold water for short periods of time promotes “hardening.” Hardening is the exposure to a natural stimulus, such as cold water, that results in increased tolerance to stress and/or disease. This was demonstrated by a study involving healthy people who swim regularly in ice-cold water during the winter. Following exposure to the cold water, researchers noted a:

· “Drastic” decrease in uric acid levels: High levels of uric acid are normally associated with gout, but it has been long known that people with high blood pressure, kidney disease and people who are overweight often have elevated uric acid levels. When your uric acid level exceeds about 5.5 mg per deciliter, you have an increased risk for a host of diseases including heart disease, fatty liver, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease and more.

· Increase in glutathione: Glutathione is your body's most powerful antioxidant, which keeps all other antioxidants performing at peak level

How to Use Cold Plunge Pool

The best approach is to rinse off with a warm shower and then do a quick cold rinse. Get into the tub and try to move as little as possible. Some people have reported that slowing down your breathing or holding your breath during the initial 15 seconds helps ease you into it. You will want to start slowly and work up to a longer and deeper immersion. Try just your legs first for 60 seconds and then work up to several minutes with your stomach or shoulders fully immersed. Please be sure to listen to your body and work up to the more advanced techniques gradually. Of course, common sense must be used and caution exercised. As with polar bear plunges, when you immerse yourself in cold water, it will shock your body to some degree, so you need to make sure the water is not too cold, and that you do not stay in it for too long.