I always thought people who jumped into the ocean in the middle of winter were crazy. Why would anyone want to get into a cold bed of water and immerse their body. To feel the pain run through your body. Well, there must be something in it, because over the past year I have seen a number of cold and heat therapy places open up where you can go and have an ice bath and then a sauna. On Trademe or the likes of other online stores you can buy your own ice bath or portable home sauna. Over the past 6 months I have been learning about the benefits of cold and heat therapy and how good they are for the body. So let have a look below at what these benefits are and how they may help you.
Controlled cold exposure, particularly by immersing yourself in cold water such as in a cold shower, cold bath or getting in a cold body of water, has an instant and enduring effect on your mood. There is both a physiological as well as a psychological procedure that occurs throughout the body which upgrades your brain in the process. Well, what’s going on in there?
To explain, we need to become familiar with Glutamate. Glutamate is a crucial neurotransmitter in the brain, essential for many fundamental functions. However, excessive levels of glutamate, known as glutamate excitotoxicity, can lead to a harmful cascade. High glutamate levels start killing brain cells, which then release more glutamate, worsening the situation.
So, what does cold have to do with it? Exposure to cold temperatures can influence this process. Research indicates that hypothermia (reduced body temperature) can mitigate the effects of glutamate excitotoxicity. Lower temperatures slow down metabolic rates and reduce the inflammatory response, which can help protect neurons from the damaging effects of excessive glutamate. This is why therapeutic hypothermia is sometimes used in medical settings to treat brain cell death in cases such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, lack of oxygen to the brain after a heart attack or stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases. In these situations, glutamate excitotoxicity is often present, and hospitals commonly induce hypothermia to prevent further brain damage.
Anyone can incorporate this treatment into their daily routine. Take the time to immerse yourself in cold water, shock your system, reset your brain, and bring glutamate levels back to normal. So, what does good practice look like?
Good practice: Simply turn the shower to cold and stand under it.
Better practice: Fill the bath with cold water and soak for as long as you can, somewhere between 5 to 10 minutes.
Best practice: Get out into nature and submerge yourself neck-deep in a cold natural body of water like a lake or the sea for 10 minutes.
If the water temperature isn't cold enough for a proper shock, consider taking an ice bath (preferably shoulder/neck deep) once or twice a week to regularly practice controlled cold exposure.
So, what are you waiting for? Try cold water therapy and upgrade your brain.
