Lets Get Chilly! The Science of Cold Water Immersion

Kickback Science With Dr. Luke

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Kick back and listen as we dive in (pun intended) to the science surrounding Cold Water Immersion. The trendy new health hack that everyone and their mother seems to be trying. We talk all about the benefits, potential risks (yes it's true, cold water immersion will NOT solve all the worlds problems), common misconceptions and misinterpretations of the data, and who should/shouldn't be hopping in a cold tub.
REFERENCES:
DELAYED ONSET MSUCLE SORENESS:
- 52 studies of adults who exercise regularly. The best meta-analysis we have of cold water immersion https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-022-01644-9
- Hot and cold therapy meta analysis of RCTS and DOMS from 2021 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33493991/
COLD WATER (CWI) vs CRYOTHERAPY (CRYO):
- Recovery From Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage: Cold-Water Immersion Versus Whole-Body Cryotherapy https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2016-0186
- Recovery following a marathon: A comparison of cold water immersion, whole body cryotherapy and a placebo control https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-017-3757-z
- 2022 review of CWI vs CRY eccentric exercise (downhill running)https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2022.940516/full
- comparing CWI to WBC in middle and long distance runners https://meridian.allenpress.com/jat/article/55/4/329/433867/Cryotherapy-Models-and-Timing-Sequence-Recovery-of
MENTAL HEALTH
- Human physiological responses to immersion into water of different temperature https://doi.org/10.1007/s004210050065
- 2020 RCT using CRY vs CONTROL on depression symptoms https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00522/full
COLD SHOWER PROTOCOL
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00421-004-1239-6
COLD WATER AND BROWN ADIPOSE TISSUE (BAT)
- Cold water in winter swimmers - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8561167/
- Cold water increases energy intake - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK232851/#:~:text=Situations that increase energy expenditure,live may also influence appetite.
STRENGTH AND MUSCLE GROWTH (hypertrophy):
- The Effects of Regular Cold-Water Immersion Use on Training-Induced Changes in Strength and Endurance Performance: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-020-01362-0*
CWI impairs muscle protein synthesis rates in recreational athletes.https://doi.org/10.1113/JP278996*

Post-exercise cold water immersion attenuates acute anabolic signaling and long-term adaptations in muscle to strength training