What are ice baths? All you should know about the practice

Ice baths are all the rage now. This form of cold water therapy, which used to be associated with athletes like soccer players and Olympians, has been incorporated by more and more people of varying levels of physical activity. It’s also been linked with various mental health benefits. Here’s what you should know about them:

What are ice baths?

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Ice baths are pretty straightforward, referring to the process of immersing your body in ice water for a window of 5 to 15 minutes. The practice is used to promote relaxation, reduce muscle soreness, pain, and even improve your mood.

How do they work?

Ice baths are a form of cryotherapy and have been used for years. By introducing your body into an extremely cold environment, you drop your skin and body temperature, prompting more blood movement through your veins in order to keep your body warm. The moment you leave the bath, your blood vessels expand and fill your body with oxygen, delivering it to muscles and all of your major organs. This can impact all manner of things, reducing inflammation and making you feel better.

What are the pros and cons?

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For the most part, ice baths have been associated with multiple benefits like easing sore muscles and providing some sleep aid. Some researchers suggests that ice baths can help you train your vagus nerve, which is linked with your parasympathetic nervous system. By training this nerve and activating it, you may be able to face stressful situations more comfortably.

When discussing side effects, one of the main concerns is the effect of ice baths on people with preexisting cardiovascular conditions or high blood pressure. The process of rapidly changing your body’s temperature has an impact on blood flow. Depending on the disease, this could be a dangerous practice. It’s also important to stick to the recommended time frame of the ice bath, since overexposure could result in hypothermia.

Despite the novelty and their widespread use, ice baths haven’t been all that researched, meaning that the benefits haven’t been scientifically proven nor disproven.