Shocked by unexpectedly cold water, sophomore Alex Lee shivered and breathed rapidly as he sat in his friend’s bathtub, taking an ice bath for the first time.
“It was probably the most cold I’ve ever been and the most uncomfortable I’ve ever been,” said Lee. “It took a while for me to settle down.”
Lee takes ice baths three times a week during his golf season because they relieve the inflammation in his knees, shoulders and wrists and make him feel more focused and awake.
Some reports have shown that people who repeatedly take ice baths have a happier mood, which can last for hours due to the release of endorphins and a decrease in stress hormones like cortisol, said Christopher Minson, professor of human physiology at the University of Oregon.
Ice baths can improve the health of the heart and blood vessels by helping blood circulate, Minson said.
Before taking ice baths, there are precautions to take to stay safe.
People should consult with their doctors before taking ice baths to make sure they are healthy and do not have any underlying cardiovascular diseases and conditions, which in a rare but possible scenario, may cause a heart attack in an ice bath, said Heather Massey, senior lecturer in the School of Sports Health and Exercise Science at the University of Portsmouth.
It is important to monitor the temperature of ice baths to avoid nonfreezing cold injuries, also known as NFCIs, which are caused by cold temperatures above freezing. When suffering from an NFCI, hands and feet become very cold and numb, and they may start to tingle or experience pain once warmed.
The colder the temperature, the shorter the amount of time ice baths should last. Taking an ice bath every day does not bring additional risks.
“If people are new to ice bathing and are wanting to try, I would start with much warmer temperatures than ice baths,” Massey said.
According to Lee, the uncomfortable feeling of his body going numb has gone away after taking ice baths for a while.
“I can find peace and relax when doing a nice ice bath,” Lee said.