If your for you page/fyp is similar to mine on instagram/tiktok etc. I see creators sharing all kinds of different things that are the KEY to your wellness journey. I think so many people are unwell in today's society from a variety of different reasons: chemicals, stress levels, technology, and so much more. And as a result of that when you see someone on social media touting "this thing has changed my life", "this thing has made me well" you might want to pull your credit card out immediately and purchase whatever it is that is going to help you. Knowing that-I want to share the VERY basic FREE steps you can take to improve your health that will have massive positive implications on the way you feel. Then I'm going to break down some additional/supplemental steps you can take to improve your overall wellbeing even more starting with the ins and outs of cold exposure.
Basic free wellness plan:
Prioritize sleep quantity and quality (7-9 hours in a dark cool room)
Prioritize hydration (drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily)
Implement a stress management routine such as deep breathing for 3-5 minutes a day
Focus on fueling adequately with food such as ensuring enough protein and fiber (and enough calories for your load)
Prioritize exercise that makes you feel good
Now-say you've been doing all of those things consistently for a significant amount of time/a month and you're ready to invest time into something extra to improve the functioning of your body even more. You've seen cold exposure AKA cold plunging all over instagram and that's the supplement you want to add to your routine. What do you need to know?
A 2022 systematic review, (PMID: 36137565) which is one of the highest levels of evidence in research, noted that cold water immersion seemed to reduce insulin resistance (great thing) and improve insulin sensitivity. Also that it may reduce your risk for many metabolic diseases. There were some limitations in this review noted that the population evaluated were swimmers-some with previous cold water immersion experience some not, and sample sizes were small.
One thing to keep in mind is a lot of the research out there for cold immersion is where people are fully submerging themselves into cold water (usually 60 degrees or less). I couldn't find the exact research study I once read BUT I did read a piece of evidence that reported cold immersion of solely the face for ~30 seconds provided a lot of the same benefits as submerging the whole body.
Andrew Huberman from the Huberman Lab has this blog post about the science of cold exposure: https://www.hubermanlab.com/newsletter/the-science-and-use-of-cold-exposure-for-health-and-performance
To summarize cold water immersion done for a total of 11 minutes per week (split up into small sessions) is encouraged for:
In PT school we spend an entire semester in a "modalities" class where we learn the science and mechanisms behind certain treatment interventions such as ice packs/cryotherapy, heat, electrical stimulation, etc. So I went onto a website I use frequently to see the mechanisms of certain treatment approaches called Physiopedia-a great resource for physical therapists. I looked up their information on cryotherapy and the following are the results of treatment according to them and a textbook I shared below:
Physiological Effects of Cryotherapy
The following physiologic effects are the expected responses to cryotherapy:[3] Use WP, Prentice W. Therapeutic Modalities in Rehabilitation, Sixth Edition. 6th ed. Columbus, OH: McGraw-Hill Education; 2021.
Decreased local temperature
Decreased metabolism
Vasoconstriction of arterioles and capillaries, initially
Decreased blood flow, initially
Decreased nerve conduction velocity
Decreased delivery of leukocytes and phagocytes
Decreased lymphatic and venous drainage
Decreased muscle excitability
Decreased muscle spindle depolarization
Decreased formation and accumulation of edema
Extreme anesthetic effects
So all in all I'm seeing conflicting bodies of evidence. I also know from interviewing a Chinese medicine practitioner that in eastern medicine cold is used little and often discouraged.
I encourage you most of all when it comes to wellness supplements to be a critical thinker. Look at pros and cons. If you still feel like the pros outweigh the cons try it out and still review the way it makes you feel critically.
Want an exercise studio that's researching what's best for you constantly? Join us at The Studio for exercise curated by a physical therapist and wellness recommendations with your best in mind.
