A well-known saying says that cold water will add health. Is it really true? Not necessary. When is an “ice” bath harmful and why? Who should refuse this method of hardening the body? We checked what the studies say about this.
Cold water therapy can take many forms, from ice baths to the increasingly popular swimming. Many scientists question the effectiveness and safety of this type of practice. He points out that they may do more harm than good, and the potential benefits of cooling the body with cold water are not well documented.
How does a cold bath affect the body?
When you dive into cold water, your body experiences heat stroke. There is a state of so-called hyperventilation. We begin to breathe faster and deeper. As a result, too much carbon dioxide is excreted from the body, which can lead to serious acid-base imbalances. After about three minutes of the “ice” bath, the body calms down, but then the risk of hypothermia increases significantly.
Hypothermia is a condition in which there is a sharp drop in body temperature (below 35°C). Chills appear, the body begins to weaken, the feeling in the limbs disappears. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), so-called immersion hypothermia is especially dangerous for people taking cold baths.because it develops much faster than “standard”.
Moreover, specialists from the National Center for Cold Water Safety, who “Ice” baths - a big load on the cardiovascular system. When the body cools down, the blood vessels constrict. As a result, the heart rate per minute increases and blood pressure rises. These factors greatly increase the risk of heart failure, arrhythmias, and stroke.
“Ice” baths can also lead to the development of thermal lesions associated with vascular damage. They are manifested by pain and sensory disturbances that persist for a long time after leaving the water. However, the etiology of this disease is not fully understood. Therefore, there is a need for further study of the causes of injury.
Can the body adapt to swimming in cold water?
Theoretically, this is possible, although the researchers note that we can never fully predict the body’s response to cooling. Therefore, it is better to abandon the “ice” baths and replace them with a cool, multi-second shower at the end of washing. This should especially be done in people who are struggling with peripheral vascular disease, Raynaud’s disease, or vascular problems associated with diabetes.
Swimming in ponds and sunbathing
The above effects can also occur when we plunge into cool water shortly after sunbathing. Therefore, you should be especially careful when you are in the sea, lagoon or other body of water. Don’t bathe in water when your body is hot. It is best to wait about a dozen minutes and gradually get used to the lower temperature, for example by gently wetting your face, ankles, or hands.
Sources: sciencealert.com, newsroom.osfhealthcare.org, physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com.
Source: Wprost
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