How Cold? How Long?
A guy in Poland recently broke the world record for full-body ice bath by sitting in ice up to his neck, nearly naked, for just over four hours.
We love a good cold plunge, but even we think that’s more than a bit much. A world record is cool but other than that, those hours shivering in ice didn’t get him anything more than goosebumps and shrinkage.
So if four hours in ice is too long and too cold, how long and how cold does your cold plunge in a Doodip tub need to be to turbocharge your metabolism, reduce inflammation and boost your mood?
The answer? Not that long and not that cold.
Our favorite cold water immersion scientist, Dr. Susanna Sǿberg, has done the research.
But if you’re reading this, chances are you aren’t interested in reading 29-page scientific journal articles with footnotes, charts and extensive discussions of supraclavicular skin temperature. So we’ll summarize the best practice for cold water immersion.
I’ve gotta sit in this cold water for how long?
Just 11 minutes a week, split up into 2-3 sessions. That’s it. We’re not talking more than five minutes in a single session. Anywhere from 1 to 5 minutes will produce benefits. The longest and hardest part of a cold plunge is typically psyching yourself up to do it the first few times.
Do I need to see ice? How cold are we talking?
That’s where it gets tricky. When you first start your cold plunge routine, 59 degrees fahrenheit is going to feel plenty cold. But your body will acclimate and you’ll need to lower the water temp to get the same results.
Think of it like running or any other kind of exercise. Some of us get winded running to the end of the driveway. But after doing that much for a while, we’re able to run down the street, then around the block.
Eventually we can run a marathon, but that’s not how we started. And that’s OK.
The highly scientific approach that we stand by is that the water needs to feel cold to you. Not burn-your-skin-feel-like-you’re-going-to-die cold. More like, this-isn’t-exactly-comfortable-I’m-going-to-be-happy-to-get-out-soon cold.
See? Highly scientific.
The key is getting the cold shock response from your body that releases endorphins, boosts metabolism and decreases inflammation.
And remember, it’s not a competition. Cold water immersion is something you do for yourself. It’s a tool to improve your mood and your physical health, not a way to prove your toughness or impress your friends.
The best results come from immersing your whole body up to your neck. But if you need to keep your arms out of the water at first, you’re still getting a benefit.
