An article from Mastering Nutrition
COLD WATER IMMERSION
I’m not sure if it’s excitement or nervous energy, but I’m joining the Boreas Transformation Experience at Odyssey Health Club & Spa this May, so thought I’d look into the benefits in a little greater detail.
Cold immersion therapy, also known as cold water immersion, involves immersing your body in cold water for a short period of time. This can take a number of forms from seaswimming, lake swimming, cold showers or cold waer plunges. There are a number of potential benefits to health. As with most things the responses are affected by gender, age, circadian rhythm (your daily sleep/wake cycle) and body size.
Metabolic energy production:
Cold water immersion (CWI), naturally results in heat loss, therefore a typical response is shivering, continous contraction of skeletal muscles. This activity is highly energy dependant and increases the metabolic rate in order to create heat. (20). It is thought that the shivering is more efficient than exercise after CWI at producing heat as the individual remains relatively immobile and thus doesn’t lose further heat (1).