Influits say the ice bath improves your health. Experts are throwing cold water on it

From Joe Rogan to Jennifer Aniston, celebrities, influential and athletes have been taking advantage of ice baths and cold immers for many years.

Cold water immersion has become a famous process. Fans say it reduces stress, softens the amount of muscle injury caused by exercise and supports immune function.

However, new research has shown that it may not be as useful as it seems.

A recent analysis, published by Plos One Journal and conducted by researchers at the University of South Australia, examines 11 studies with 3,177 people who did so. Each participant was in the water, whether the bathroom or shower was 15 ° C or less for at least 30 seconds.

The results were particularly eye -catching about the effect of ice baths on inflammation. While it is said that cold water immersion reduces inflammation, a new study showed that this is the opposite.

“Significant increase in inflammation immediately and one hour” after finding ritual. Instead, the researchers stated that immersion leads to “an acute inflammatory response”.

New research suggests that cold water immersion may not reduce inflammation (Gett pictures)

“At first glance, this seems inconsistent, because we know that ice baths are regularly used by elite athletes to reduce inflammation and muscle pain after exercise,” said Ben Singh, a colleague of the study. ”

“Instant spike in inflammation is the body’s reaction to the cold as a stressful,” he said The reason for the athletes uses it despite the short -term increase.

“By knowing this, people with pre -existing health conditions should take care of cold water immersion because primary inflammation can have harmful health effects,” he said.

In this study, some of the benefits of immersion, such as “a significant reduction in stress 12 hours” after it, found. However, a significant reduction in stress immediately, an hour, 24 hours or 48 hours after immersion has not been discovered.

The analysis also reduced “29 % in the absence of disease among participants with colds.”

However, the researchers said that more things need to be done to understand all the effects of immersion.

“Is it important to understand the effects of what your body is using,” Cain added. “At present, there is not enough quality research to say exactly who has the most benefit or the ideal approach to enter cold water. Long -term studies, among the more diverse populations, to understand the lasting effects And its practical applications are needed.