Cold water immersion or cold therapy involves using cold water on part or the whole body for recovery and health benefits. This practice has dealt with a lot of popularity especially with the athletes and the many individuals who engage in physically demanding activities. But to set the story up, let’s take a look at the science behind its efficacy as a therapy. In this tutorial we will look at the mechanics of cold water immersion and how to get the best from it.

How does Cold water immersion work?

It is important to know that while using water between 50-59°F (10-15°C) preference, every part of the body that is submerged undergoes some change in its physiologic conditions. In other words, any coldness leads to constriction of blood vessels beyond skin in an effort to direct blood flow towards the center and other critical organs to shield temperature. This is referred to as the mammalian diving reflex. 

After the cold water is removed, blood will return to the extremities in what is known as the after drop response. The body countercompensates blood flow, probably since the vasoconstricted blood vessels felt that they were receiving inadequate blood supply while constricted. A sudden increase in the delivery of freshly oxygenated blood helps in the removal of metabolites such as lactic acid, thus helping in recovery.

Advantages for Exercise Restoration

Research shows that when timed appropriately around a training session, cold water immersion provides both physiological and psychological benefits:

• Reduces Muscle Soreness: These meta-analyses of studies indicate that cold water immersion decreases the sensation of DOMS 12-48 hours post exercise better than passive recovery.
• Speeds Up Muscle Recovery: Several researches show that fresh water cryotherapy for about 10-15 minutes of immersion between 50-59°F has a positive impact on the rates to force, power recovery and biomarkers of damage muscles in contrast to rest and in a lower temperature.
• Improves Endurance Capacity: Previous research supports the idea that during the recovery phase of physical activity, below-freezing water immersion can enhance CVSB HRV helping the participant attain a greater number of repetitions in a subsequent maximal endurance test than with the normal, nonimmersion recovery.
• Boosts Adaptations to Training: Recent investigations prove that the habit of cold water cooling after the essential sets can enrich some of the slow-long-term adaptations caused by strength and HIIT exercises.
• Provides Psychological Boost: The majority of the athletes revealed an uplifting, revitalizing impact of using cold water immersion. Training in the cold can be invigorating for athletes and the onset of shiver is typically succeeded by an afterglow effector that enhances morale next to the subsequent exercise session.

Best Practices and Techniques

To maximize the benefits of cold water immersion while minimizing potential risks or side effects, current sports science recommendations include:

• Water Temperature: In most favourable circumstances, the water temperature should range between 50 – 59°F, that is, between 10 – 15°C. It is evident that being a colder does not compensate for being more beneficial. It is herein suggested that duration may have to be reduced, particularly with low temperatures.  
• Depth of Immersion: According to perfect protocols of treatment, the client should immerse himself up to the breast, axillae or chin depending on the contracting muscles. In cases of whole-body immersion, the precautions are to be taken against overdosing the radiation.
• Duration: Ideally, exposure should take 10-15 minutes. Even when there are short durations of intervention (5-10 min), they are still worthwhile if needed. Stressors of <5 minutes followed by rewarming breaks may have similar effects to a single 10-15 minutes immersion.  
• Timing: For optimal outcome, use cold water and do it within 0-30 minutes of the exercise session. These effects mean that the effects tend to decrease in case the immersion is prolonged beyond 2 hours. Cold treatment may still have some effect 24-48 hours after workouts when the signs of DOMS are most pronounced.
• Frequency: Major positive effects are observed if cold water immersion is performed after training sessions, power output, or sports events that cause muscle damage or delayed muscle soreness. Most important, too much chronic use reduces positive effects of the substance.

Therefore, there is sufficient literature that would attest to the fact that cold water immersion is a safe, alternative treatment for post exercise recovery. Increased understanding and adherence to water temperature, its depth, duration and time frequency of training along with post-training micro- adaptations for many active trainees and athletes will assist in enhanced muscle repair, decrease in soreness and general improvements towards the forthcoming training session. So although not a fully ‘get fit quick’ tool, having the intermittent cold water immersion may add important value when implemented into the training schedule and brought into use.