What are cold water immersion benefits, risks as more people take the plunge
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Ice baths are supposed to have a number of benefits and taking a cold plunge is something more people are doing.
Cold water immersion is something that athletes have been doing to recover from training. Now, all kinds of people are getting in ice baths.
Celebrities and influencers are plunging into icy waters all over social media.
"It's 8 in the morning. The pool is 58 degrees. Oooo baby," actress Kristen Bell said in a post.
"I can't feel my feet or my hands," actor Zac Efron said in another post.
Cold is all the craze and it's a trend sweeping the country.
"You have mental resilience at your fingertips. You have productivity, your focus, you have just like this euphoric sensation," Shinjini Sur said.
"You get a bunch of energy," Shelby Doner said.
"I definitely get this rush of, like, adrenaline and serotonin and dopamine," Erin Stanczyk said.
Professor Mike Tipton from the Extreme Environments Lab has studied the impacts --and the risks -- of severe heat and cold on the human body.
"We do have some hypotheses as to how cold could work. Until the properly controlled studies are done, we can't be sure," Tipton said.
However, Tipton said overcoming the challenge of cold-water immersion may have some benefits.
"Cold water immersion evokes a fight or flight response," Tipton said, "and part of that response is to release the stress hormones. So, absolutely, going into cold water and having a sudden fall in skin temperature -- and part of that cold shock response -- is going to wake you up."
Although, he said there are potentially dangerous responses in the first 30 seconds.
Cold water sucks heat away five times faster than cold air. Skin temperature falls rapidly, causing an uncontrollable gasp. Hyperventilation stops blood flowing to the skin and increases blood pressure. This is known as the "cold shock response."
"That cold shock response accounts for about 60 of people who die going into cold water," Tipton said. "That's particularly hazardous if you're hypertensive, if you've got an aneurysm [or] cardiovascular disease."
Hands and feet are especially vulnerable to cold plunging, which shouldn't last for more than 10 minutes.
Experts also said water shouldn't be colder than 59 degrees.
It's advised that people with medical conditions check with their doctor before getting in an ice bath.
