5 Benefits of Cold Plunge – Why Ice Baths Are Crucial For Athletic Performance

Ice baths for sleep? Body temperature is one of the most powerful signallers for sleep or waking. At night, a drop in core body temperature is a large indicator or driver to transition into sleep. In the morning, as we warm up, we wake up. 

Many people are divided on the best time to do an ice bath, morning or night. In any case, you can manipulate your core body temperature with an ice bath of as little as 2 minutes to either shock the body into a wakeful state in the morning with a nice bonus boost for brown fat production, or drop the bodys core temperature at night to encourage sleep. We have also employed a Chilipad mattress cooler to achieve the same benefits of temperature regulation at night to promote an epic sleep.

What The Experts Say About Cold Plunge

Last time I did a cold plunge, I remember feeling slightly dizzy and my breath appeared to turn slightly icy and metallic, I wondered exactly what was going on. Generally, I have experienced only positive benefits of ice baths and cold plunge which are benefits backed up largely by various scientific studies and the increased attention of health experts and personalities like Joe Rogan. 

While on a number of forums for Cold Plunge or Ice Baths, I noticed that the dizziness was a common occurrence with some pointing to low blood sugar levels and mild hypothermia, but didn’t find any conclusive reasoning for it.

Much of the other anecdotal evidence I have for the other positive benefits of ice baths like reduced muscle soreness, lowered pain perception, improvements in sleep, lower stress and cortisol, increased mood and more mental resilience are thankfully clearly backed by many experts. Below are some various expert viewpoints on cold plunge or cold water exposure as a practice.

Joe Rogan on Cold Plunge

Most people know Joe Rogan for his honest, wide ranging discussions on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience. Being a UFC commentator and martial arts expert, Rogan regularly discusses recovery methods like ice baths. 

In a recent podcast, he talks about using the Morozko Cold Plunge tub at 34 degrees F for helping him overcome inflammation, pain and body soreness. He also talks a lot about the overall benefits of doing hard or challenging things over and over to reap the rewards of better self-control, mental resilience and toughness. 

Andrew Huberman on Cold Plunge

Andrew Huberman and many of his podcast guests discuss the science and benefits of deliberate cold exposure for humans. On his website, Huberman has a fantastic summary of the benefits of cold plunge and these are all explained in depth in episode 66 of the Huberman Lab.

Huberman references the science and makes the recommendation of doing deliberate cold exposure for 11 minutes per week which can be spread over 3 or 4 cold plunge sessions of a couple of minutes each. Without specifying too much on ideal temperature, although he does say the colder the better, he uses the base measure of saying that “the water temperature should be uncomfortably cold yet safe to stay in for a few minutes.”

Susanna Soeberg on Cold Plunge

Susanna Soeberg has a PhD in Metabolism, expert in heat and cold exposure and is the best selling author of a book called Dopamine Nation. There are loads of podcasts with Soeberg discussing the Science of cold plunge including this one on Soundcloud. She has an interesting Instagram page and shares mostly the latest knowledge and practices around cold and heat exposure as well as other wellness areas of interest. 

Interestingly, Soeberg is a big advocate for maximising the benefits of ice baths and deliberate bouts of cold exposure by allowing the body to reheat on its own. She recommends to “end with cold” as the ideal practice to a contrast therapy protocol, for the reason that you are forcing the body to reach its ideal resting temperature or homeostasis and maximising the metabolic benefits. She says that shivering is good! 

By allowing your body to shiver (shivering thermogenesis) this process may enhance metabolic increases from cold. Shivering causes the accumulation of succinate from muscles and further activates brown fat thermogenesis. Soeberg infers that, instead of opting for the instinctual crossing of the arms, hunching of the body and use of a towel to create warmth, you can almost double the metabolic benefit by letting the shivering run wild, with the arms raised upright and no towel wrapped.

Wim Hof on Cold Plunge

Wim Hof has a huge following for his practices and ideologies around cold exposure. He has created courses and a cult following around this, with teachings available online, including regular workshops around the world.

A quick google search of Wim Hof, shows countless videos, articles and even scientific research papers on him as he explored how he uses cold plunge and breathing to access the autonomic nervous system, thought to be completely automated. Despite his eccentric demeanor, Hof shares some very incredible and at the same time credible insights into the benefits and real life stories of cold water therapy. Indeed, he regularly changes people’s lives through introducing them to cold exposure, breathing and movement.

Peter Attia on Cold Plunge

Back in 2020, Dr Peter Attia and Ross Edgley were experimenting with cold exposure in Norway by way of spending time outside in roughly -10 degree temperatures. The goal was brown fat activation which is one of the major benefits associated with cold exposure in general, not just cold water.

Petter Attia explores strategies and tactics to increase lifespan, health-span and wellbeing and optimise cognitive, physical and emotional health, no stranger to experimenting with and implementing practices like ice baths in the name of self-improvement. 

Peter Attia describes cold exposure as cold showers, ice baths, open water swimming and even short walks in cold weather. On his website and various podcast episodes, Attia describes the way the sympathetic nervous system releases norepinephrine, stimulating brown fat and triggering both shivering and non-shivering thermogenesis. 

In describing the positive effect that cold exposure has on the generation of brown fat and the “beiging” of white fat, he measures brown fat activity by using an infrared camera to capture a thermal map of the skin. Although there were limited conclusive results to confirm that brown fat activation could be used to treat metabolic issues, Attia references the positive effects of cold plunge on cardiovascular health, endocrine function, and the nervous system.

Conclusion on Ice Bath Benefits

The benefits of cold plunge have been explored in depth by so many experts, athletes and high performers now that they are difficult to ignore. Wim Hof definitely drove and reinvigoration of practicing ice baths as a tool for accessing deeper health and connection to the body.

By bringing the physiological benefits of cold exposure to the eye of the masses by going under the microscope in a scientific study, Hof was able to provide much greater insight into the actual potential of what ice baths combined with breathing practices can do for the human body.

So, if you came to this article hoping to confirm what you already knew, I am sure you are better equipped to explain the reasons why soaking your body in ice cold water and putting yourself through that pain and discomfort is helping to recover faster after running, lifting, team sports, marathons and cycling, generate more brown fat for better metabolic efficiency and actually impact your brain chemistry and mood.

If you came to this with your doubts about whether cold plunge really works, it might be time to check out your options for a cold plunge tub and take the plunge.