Today I have some quick cold bath facts to share, inspired by a random video I saw from the Dr. Oz show. I wish I had saved it to give you some context but I’ll just have to describe it, link to it and then get to the cold bath facts.
OK, so a month or so ago, while doing research for a completely unrelated topic and article, I came across this intriguing video from the Dr. Oz show. It was an interview with that guy who wrote about The 4-Hour Workweek and he has just released a new book (well it’s not that new, I borrowed it from the library after watching the video clip) The 4 Hour Body.
Anyway, this guy spoke about taking ice baths as a way of kick-starting your metabolism and I did a double take and watched the video again. What now? Turns out there is actually some science to the old “ice bath” so long as the temperature stays between 12 and 14 degrees Celcius. Now that’s cold!
Apparently athletes take ice cold baths as a way of helping their bodies recover better from intense training.
Cold bath facts from the video clip AKA what people say ice baths do for you
- Help sore/tired muscles recover quicker by doing something to help muscle tears heal
- Causes blood vessels to constrict and flush lactic acid out of the muscles. That’s a good thing
- Reduces swelling
- Helps relax muscles
And then after the cold bath, you follow it with a warm bath to increase blood flow through the muscles.
Cold bath facts from the health sector. They thing ice baths help with the following.
- Increase circulation (good if you struggle with fatigue)
- Reduce stress/depression (because cold water reduces tension in the body)
- Create healthier looking hair (cold water covers hair cuticles thus protecting the scalp from dirt, which helps prevent hair loss…)
- And a few other things like increase white blood cells, strengthen mucous membranes (which helps people resist hay fever, allergies, colds), and improve the health of body tissues
All very interesting. And I’m slightly tempted to give it a go but the thought of sitting in a tub of cold water doesn’t exactly appeal to me.
So for now I have three questions from all of these interesting cold bath facts.
- Do you ever get used to cold water baths?
- Can any of these claims be proven?
- Can bubbles survive in cold water baths?
I suppose there’s only one way to find out for sure. Maybe my husband will volunteer.
Other posts about baths
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6 Responses
Someone told me once that you should end your shower with cold water for similar benefits. A bit easier than a cold bath, but still I’m not sure if it’s worth it.
Yeah, those benefits sound quite worth it, but i still can’t imagine willingly subjecting myself to being that cold AND wet. That is the most miserable state of being even if it would increase my rather pathetic circulation…lol!
Robyn if you don’t like bubble baths, what about your hubby? Maybe he could help you this month on your blog topic?
Great roundup of quick cold bath facts! I recently read an article on https://arcticplungegear.com/ that covered similar insights, including how regular cold plunges can help with recovery, circulation, and mental resilience. It’s amazing how even a short dip can have such powerful benefits.
Do you have any favorite tips for making the first few cold baths easier for beginners?
Would love to hear your thoughts!