Why Madonna, Kim Kardashian, and other celebs swear by cold immersion.
In her 2021 book, Dopamine Nation, the psychiatrist Anna Lembke writes about one of her patients, Michael, a recovering drug addict who, after getting sober, stumbled upon a new obsession: Taking freezing cold baths. Every day for three years, Michael would begin his day by filling his bathtub with water and ice and submerging himself for up to 10 minutes.
Those first few seconds, as he describes them, are torturous. “My body is screaming: Stop, you’re going to kill yourself. It’s that painful,” he told Dr. Lembke. But he didn’t stop. Instead, he sought ways to “up the ante” by making his baths even colder.
Why, you might ask, would anyone subject themselves to this on a daily basis? And how could one possibly grow to love this habit? It turns out Michael is just one of a growing group of cold-immersion adherents, which includes the likes of Madonna, Kim Kardashian, Chris Hemsworth, and many other wellness-oriented celebs. Michael says he was drawn to the agonizing practice because of its noticeable impact on his mood and because it produced a high, similar to the one he used to derive from “ecstasy or recreational Vicodin.” Others claim it has a whole different host of benefits, from boosting the immune system to burning fat. But does it live up to the hype, or is it just another fad we should throw cold water on?
A brief history of cold immersion
Cold-water therapy is certainly nothing new. The ancient Greeks prescribed it as a means to cure lethargy, and in the 1920s a farmer popularized it as a treatment for all manner of physical ailments. In the spy novels, James Bond even practiced a form of it called the “Scottish shower,” referring to the custom of ending showers with a stream of freezing water. Athletes have used ice baths for decades as a way to speed recovery because research indicates it could help reduce soreness.
Outside the world of sports, Wim Hof, popularly known as the “Iceman,” can probably be credited with cold immersion’s modern revival. The Dutch motivational speaker set a Guinness World Record in 2000 for making the longest swim under ice and has gone on to market a regimen of cold exposure, breathing techniques, and meditation to manage stress, as well as chronic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. The “Wim Hof Method” has gained a devoted following and spurred interest in various forms of cold exposure from cold-water swimming to less intrepid exercises, like the Scottish shower.
In the Iceman’s wake, a flurry of companies selling sleek-looking tubs that filter and maintain freezing temps have proliferated, as have upscale wellness retreats offering boutique ice bath experiences. The popularity of the movement has even prompted the scientific community to pay closer attention to what Heather Massey, an extreme environments researcher at the University of Portsmouth in the U.K., believes is an “understudied field.”
Can the cold improve your mood?
Scientists are beginning to understand how enduring brief periods of punishing cold can change your mind — literally. In a study conducted in Prague, 10 men were instructed to sit in a tub full of cold water set at 57 degrees for an hour. Researchers analyzed their blood and found that concentrations of dopamine and norepinephrine — two neurotransmitters that can trigger feelings of pleasure — had spiked and remained elevated well after the session.
Dr. Massey collaborated on a 2018 case study, which followed a 24-year-old with depression and anxiety who, after taking up cold-water swimming, reported that she no longer needed antidepressants. A 2020 study found that participants who took part in a 10-week trial of swimming in freezing water reported greater improvements in well-being than those who stayed dry.
But what’s not quite clear is why exactly people like Michael report feeling blissed out after taking a plunge. At present, there seem to be “more theories than there are studies” on the phenomenon, Dr. Massey tells us. But one compelling hypothesis lies in the biological principle of hormesis, which Dr. Lembke, a Stanford professor that specializes in treating addiction, explores in her book. Put simply, the idea is that a little pain can do the body some good.
In small doses, “noxious stimuli,” like a short ice bath, a brief burst of intense exercise, or even intermittent fasting, “can actually set in motion our own innate production” of those feel-good neurotransmitters, Dr. Lembke tells us. And the dopamine that results from these moderately painful experiences, though indirect, “is potentially more enduring,” she writes.
Some also believe that completing a challenge, like a winter swim, can provide a sense of perspective. There’s a recognition that if they can manage the first painful moments in an ice bath that “they can certainly manage some of the other stresses in their life,” Dr. Massey says.
What about the other benefits of cold showers, ice baths, and other forms of cold immersion?
The companies that have cropped up as a result of this trend have touted cold immersion as a way to boost the immune system, reduce inflammation, and even lose weight. There’s some research that backs up these claims. One study in the Netherlands found that regular cold showers led to a 29 percent drop in sick days among employees. Another concluded that being left out in the cold may lead people to generate more brown fat — a type of tissue that keeps us warm and burns more calories than white fat.
Some devotees say it’s even helped them manage chronic illness. Jono James tells us he was first drawn to ice baths as a way to relieve his cystic fibrosis. After taking them regularly, he found that he’d get sick less often, sleep better, and feel more energized, which led him to start selling his own plug-in tubs designed for cold immersion. We could go on and on listing the potential benefits. But Dr. Massey says it’s important to take all these claims “with a grain of salt,” because most of them require more investigation.
How to take the plunge
For those who want to give cold therapy a shot, James suggests starting with a simple cold shower. If you can tolerate that for a few days and want to up the ante, head to the grocery store and grab a couple of bags of ice.
You want to start by getting in your tub and filling it with cold water at about 60 degrees Fahrenheit, Dominic King, MD, a sports medicine physician at the Cleveland Clinic, told The TODAY Show. Once you’re submerged, slowly add the ice. He suggests keeping a thermometer on hand to monitor the water temperature, and to make sure it doesn’t dip below 53 degrees Fahrenheit. A soak should last a few minutes but not more than 10, Dr. King says. He also warned that those with heart disease, diabetes, poor circulation, and other conditions should consult with their doctor before diving in.
Consider it a rather low-stakes experiment. At worst, you freeze for a few moments in the shower and decide it’s not for you while gaining a new appreciation for Chris Hemsworth. At best, you discover a cheap and easy antidote for a whole host of ailments, physical and mental.
