What does a cold plunge do to your body?
A cold plunge first triggers a shock: in the first 30 seconds in 50 °F (10 °C) water, you gasp up to 47 breaths a minute and your heart rate climbs toward 128 beats (Tipton, 2000). Then skin vessels tighten, you shiver and noradrenaline climbs. After a few plunges, the shock becomes much weaker.
Simplified diagram, not to scale. Dotted curves are estimates based on published measurements; the figures in the notes are measured.
What does a cold plunge do to your body?
A person gets into cold water up to the shoulders, with a patch of their skin greatly magnified. Choose a situation, then tap a label on the drawing to learn what it is.
Sources: cold shock and habituation (Tipton et al., Eur J Appl Physiol, 2000); cold showers (Eglin and Tipton, 2005); breathing and drowning risk (Datta and Tipton, J Appl Physiol, 2006); a heart receiving two opposite signals (Shattock and Tipton, J Physiol, 2012); water at 57, 68 and 90 °F (14, 20 and 32 °C) for 1 hour (Šrámek et al., Eur J Appl Physiol, 2000). Drawing not to scale; scene timing and live breathing: estimates. Pulse next to the heart: 128 and 109 bpm on entering the water, from Tipton (2000); the other values are our own rough figures, to be checked.
Keyboard: 1 to 3 situations, Space pause, L slow motion, R restart, ← → previous or next step.
Frequently asked questions about cold plunges
How long should you stay in a cold plunge?
For a first time, a few tens of seconds to 1 minute is enough, staying near the edge and with someone nearby (to be checked). The cold shock is strongest in the first minutes: that is when breathing races and the heart speeds up (Tipton, 2017). In studies on recovery, baths usually lasted 5 to 15 minutes in water at 50 to 59 °F (10 to 15 °C) (Bleakley, 2012; to be checked). Staying longer slowly cools the inside of the body: get out as soon as you shiver hard or your hands become clumsy.
Why does cold water take your breath away?
Cold water takes your breath away because sudden cold on the skin triggers a reflex: a big involuntary gasp, then very fast breathing (Datta and Tipton, 2006). In volunteers entering 50 °F (10 °C) water, breathing rose to 47 breaths a minute on average in the first 30 seconds, compared with about 15 at rest (Tipton, 2000). This reflex makes it hard to hold your breath for long: if your head goes under, you can swallow water. That is why you should get in slowly, without diving.
Does a cold plunge help recovery after exercise?
A cold plunge slightly reduces muscle soreness in the following days, but the evidence is only of moderate quality (Bleakley, 2012). This Cochrane review of 17 small trials, with 366 participants in total, found less pain 1 to 4 days after exercise, with no clear evidence on strength or fatigue. After strength training, repeated cold baths over 12 weeks held back muscle gains compared with active recovery (Roberts, 2015). If your goal is to build muscle, it is better not to take one right after every session.
Is a cold plunge dangerous for the heart?
A cold plunge puts a big load on the heart in the first minutes: it speeds up and blood pressure rises (Tipton, 2017). If the face is also in the water, another reflex tries to slow the heart; these two opposite signals can disturb its rhythm, even in healthy people (Shattock and Tipton, 2012). The risk is higher with heart disease, high blood pressure or a past fainting spell: in that case, ask a doctor before trying.
What temperature should a cold plunge be?
Most cold plunges are done between 50 and 59 °F (10 and 15 °C), and the cold shock may be strongest in that range (to be checked). In one study, 1 hour in 57 °F (14 °C) water raised energy use by 350% and noradrenaline by 530%; at 68 °F (20 °C), energy use rose by 93%; at 90 °F (32 °C), it did not change (Šrámek, 2000). Colder water does not necessarily bring more benefits, but it increases the shock and the risk of cooling down too much.
True or false?
In cold water, you can lose control of your breathing.
True. Sudden cold on the skin makes you gasp, then breathe very fast: up to 47 breaths a minute in the first 30 seconds in 50 °F (10 °C) water (Tipton, 2000). This reflex makes it hard to hold your breath and can make you swallow water, hence the risk of drowning in the very first minutes (Datta and Tipton, 2006).
An ice bath after strength training helps you build more muscle.
False. In a 12-week trial, people who did active recovery after each session gained more muscle and strength than those who took a 10-minute cold bath (Roberts, 2015). Cold seems to dampen the signals that make muscle grow.
You get used to the shock of cold water in just a few baths.
True. After six 3-minute baths at 59 °F (15 °C), breathing in the first 30 seconds in 50 °F (10 °C) water dropped from 47 to 24 a minute, and heart rate from 128 to 109 beats (Tipton, 2000). Six cold showers over 4 days already lowered the breathing rate by 21% (Eglin and Tipton, 2005).
This page as text
The same information as the charts, to read without animation: for each chart, the values at the main moments, then the notes with their level of evidence.
What happens in the first 10 minutes?
The cold shock hits in the 1st minute: breath taken away, very fast breathing, racing heart. It then settles down, while the skin cools and shivering begins. Estimated curves, as relative levels.
| Minutes in the water, or water temperature | Breathing rate (dotted) | Heart rate (dotted) | Skin warmth (dotted) | Shivering (dotted) | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | 20 | 30 | 100 | 0 | Getting into 50 °F (10 °C) water |
| 1 min | 55 | 72 | 42 | 2 | in 50 °F (10 °C) water |
| 2 min | 38 | 59 | 25 | 15 | in 50 °F (10 °C) water |
| 3 min | 32 | 52 | 18 | 35 | in 50 °F (10 °C) water |
| 5 min | 30 | 48 | 12 | 62 | in 50 °F (10 °C) water |
| 10 min | 30 | 50 | 8 | 85 | in 50 °F (10 °C) water |
Key points
- Breath taken away (Up to 31 s, Shown in humans)
Getting into 50 °F (10 °C) water, you gasp, then pant: in the first 30 seconds, 47 breaths and 72 liters of air a minute on average, in volunteers who had never been exposed before. Heart rate rose to 128 beats a minute. Source: Tipton, Mekjavic and Eglin, « Permanence of the habituation of the initial responses to cold-water immersion in humans », Eur J Appl Physiol, 2000 - You lose control of your breathing (Up to 3 min, Shown in humans)
This reflex can make it impossible to hold your breath: you can swallow water. It is a drowning risk from the very first minutes, long before the body has cooled down. Source: Datta and Tipton, « Respiratory responses to cold water immersion: neural pathways, interactions, and clinical consequences awake and asleep », J Appl Physiol, 2006 - A conflict in the heart (Up to 3 min, Shown in humans)
Cold on the skin speeds up the heart, but water on the face slows it down: these two signals at once can disturb its rhythm, even in healthy volunteers. Source: Shattock and Tipton, « Autonomic conflict: a different way to die during cold water immersion? », J Physiol, 2012 - The skin shuts down (From 30 s on, Shown in humans)
Small blood vessels in the skin tighten to keep heat inside: the skin turns pale and cools quickly, and blood stays in the core of the body. Source: Tipton, Collier and Massey, « Cold water immersion: kill or cure? », Exp Physiol, 2017 - The body makes heat (From 2 min on, Shown in humans)
Shivering and noradrenaline burn more energy: after 1 hour in 57 °F (14 °C) water, energy use had risen by 350% and noradrenaline by 530%. Source: Šrámek et al., « Human physiological responses to immersion into water of different temperatures », Eur J Appl Physiol, 2000 - Hypothermia comes later (From 3 min on, Hypothesis)
The temperature inside the body drops slowly: the “1-10-1” rule sums it up as 1 minute of shock, about 10 minutes of useful movement, and about 1 hour before losing consciousness (to be checked). - Estimated curves (Throughout, Hypothesis)
The shape of the curves follows published measurements; the heights are relative levels, not measurements. The exact length of the shock, often 1 to 3 minutes, is to be checked.
Who makes norepinephrine in cold water, and how fast?
Mostly the sympathetic nerves: they release it within seconds, and half of it is gone from the blood in 2 to 3 minutes. So its level tracks the cold almost live. Measurements from Johnson (1977) and Šrámek (2000); estimated curves.
| Minutes in the water, or water temperature | Norepinephrine in the blood (dotted) | Shivering (dotted) | Energy use (dotted) | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | 6 | 0 | 18 | Getting into 50 °F (10 °C) water |
| 15 min | 53 | 52 | 46 | in 50 °F (10 °C) water |
| 30 min | 68 | 70 | 52 | in 50 °F (10 °C) water |
| 45 min | 75 | 78 | 54 | in 50 °F (10 °C) water |
| Out | 84 | 80 | 54 | 60 min in 50 °F (10 °C) water |
| +15 min | 24 | 1 | 22 | 15 min in a 104 °F (40 °C) warm bath |
| +30 min | 8 | 0 | 18 | 30 min in a 104 °F (40 °C) warm bath |
Key points
- Who makes it? (Throughout, Shown in humans)
Mostly the sympathetic nerves, wrapped around blood vessels, the heart and muscles: they release it right where it acts, and some spills over into the blood. The adrenal glands, sitting on top of the kidneys, release little of it at rest: they mostly make adrenaline. Source: Esler et al., « Overflow of catecholamine neurotransmitters to the circulation: source, fate, and functions », Physiol Rev, 1990 - Within seconds (Up to 10 min, Shown in humans)
Cold on the skin fires the nerves by reflex: norepinephrine is released right away. In the blood, half of it is cleared in about 2.4 minutes, so its level follows nerve activity almost live. Source: Pfizer, Levophed (norepinephrine), clinical pharmacology: mean half-life of about 2.4 minutes - What about the brain? (Up to 10 min, Hypothesis)
The brain has its own norepinephrine, made by a small nucleus in the brainstem, the locus coeruleus: it wakes you up and sharpens attention. The norepinephrine in the blood barely gets into the brain (to be checked). - What it does (From 5 to 60 min, Shown in humans)
It tightens the small blood vessels of the skin, speeds up the heart and pushes the body to burn more: during 1 hour in 50 °F (10 °C) water, energy use roughly tripled. Source: Johnson et al., « Plasma norepinephrine responses of man in cold water », J Appl Physiol, 1977 - Up to +530% (From 30 to 60 min, Shown in humans)
After 1 hour in 57 °F (14 °C) water, blood norepinephrine had risen by 530% and dopamine by 250%. Source: Šrámek et al., « Human physiological responses to immersion into water of different temperatures », Eur J Appl Physiol, 2000 - After the bath (In the warm bath, from 0 min on, Shown in humans)
In a 104 °F (40 °C) warm bath, it rises a little more for a short while, then drops after about 8 minutes, when shivering stops, even though the body is still cold. It is back to its starting level within 30 minutes. Source: Johnson et al., « Plasma norepinephrine responses of man in cold water », J Appl Physiol, 1977 - Estimated curves (Throughout, Hypothesis)
The durations and percentages in the notes are measured; the height of the curves is an estimated relative level, not a measurement.
Does the shock get smaller as you get used to it?
Yes: after 6 plunges of 3 minutes, you pant about half as much in the first 30 seconds, and this lasts for months (Tipton, 2000). Measured figures; estimated curves.
| Minutes in the water, or water temperature | Breathing, 1st plunge (dotted) | Breathing, after 6 plunges (dotted) | Heart, 1st plunge (dotted) | Heart, after 6 plunges (dotted) | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | 20 | 20 | 30 | 30 | Getting into 50 °F (10 °C) water |
| 30 s | 82 | 45 | 86 | 69 | in 50 °F (10 °C) water |
| 1 min | 55 | 36 | 72 | 60 | in 50 °F (10 °C) water |
| 2 min | 38 | 31 | 59 | 52 | in 50 °F (10 °C) water |
| 3 min | 32 | 29 | 52 | 48 | in 50 °F (10 °C) water |
| 5 min | 30 | 28 | 48 | 46 | in 50 °F (10 °C) water |
Key points
- Half as much panting (Up to 31 s, Shown in humans)
After six 3-minute plunges at 59 °F (15 °C), then tested at 50 °F (10 °C): 24 breaths a minute instead of 47, 31 liters of air a minute instead of 72, and a heart rate of 109 beats instead of 128 in the first 30 seconds. Source: Tipton, Mekjavic and Eglin, « Permanence of the habituation of the initial responses to cold-water immersion in humans », Eur J Appl Physiol, 2000 - Still there months later (Throughout, Shown in humans)
Breathing was still calmer 7 months later; at 14 months, only the heart rate was still calmer. Source: Tipton, Mekjavic and Eglin, « Permanence of the habituation of the initial responses to cold-water immersion in humans », Eur J Appl Physiol, 2000 - Even with cold showers (Throughout, Shown in humans)
Six cold showers at 50 °F (10 °C) over 4 days lowered the breathing rate when getting into the water by 21%, from 54 to 44 breaths a minute. With showers at 59 °F (15 °C), nothing changed. Source: Eglin and Tipton, « Repeated cold showers as a method of habituating humans to the initial responses to cold water immersion », Eur J Appl Physiol, 2005 - Getting used to it does not protect you from everything (Throughout, Hypothesis)
Getting used to it calms the shock of the first minutes; it does not make cold water safe, and does not protect you from cooling down if you stay in a long time (to be checked). - Estimated curves (Throughout, Hypothesis)
Only the figures in the notes are measured; the curves connect these measurements in an estimated way.
What difference does the water temperature make?
The colder the water, the more energy the body burns: +350% after 1 hour at 57 °F (14 °C), +93% at 68 °F (20 °C), nothing at 90 °F (32 °C). In every case, the kidneys make more urine (Šrámek, 2000). Measured points; estimated curves between them.
| Minutes in the water, or water temperature | Energy use (dotted) | Noradrenaline (measured at 57 °F) (dotted) | Urine produced (dotted) | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 57 °F | 100 | 100 | 100 | Water at 57 °F (14 °C), 1 hour in the water up to the neck |
| 63 °F | 52 | 45 | 70 | Water at 63 °F (17 °C), 1 hour in the water up to the neck |
| 68 °F | 27 | 18 | 55 | Water at 68 °F (20 °C), 1 hour in the water up to the neck |
| 73 °F | 15 | 8 | 57 | Water at 73 °F (23 °C), 1 hour in the water up to the neck |
| 79 °F | 8 | 4 | 60 | Water at 79 °F (26 °C), 1 hour in the water up to the neck |
| 84 °F | 3 | 1 | 63 | Water at 84 °F (29 °C), 1 hour in the water up to the neck |
| 90 °F | 0 | 0 | 66 | Water at 90 °F (32 °C), 1 hour in the water up to the neck |
Key points
- At 57 °F (14 °C): energy use multiplied by 4.5 (Up to 61 °F (16 °C), Shown in humans)
After 1 hour in 57 °F (14 °C) water: energy use +350%, noradrenaline +530%, dopamine +250%, heart rate +5%, blood pressure +7 to 8%, urine +163%. Source: Šrámek et al., « Human physiological responses to immersion into water of different temperatures », Eur J Appl Physiol, 2000 - At 68 °F (20 °C): the body works without racing (From 64 to 72 °F (18 to 22 °C), Shown in humans)
Energy use +93%, but heart rate and blood pressure drop as in lukewarm water; urine +89%. Source: Šrámek et al., « Human physiological responses to immersion into water of different temperatures », Eur J Appl Physiol, 2000 - At 90 °F (32 °C): the body relaxes (From 84 °F (29 °C) up, Shown in humans)
Heart rate slows by 15%, blood pressure drops by 11 to 12%, cortisol by 34%; energy use does not change; urine +107%. Source: Šrámek et al., « Human physiological responses to immersion into water of different temperatures », Eur J Appl Physiol, 2000 - Why water makes you need to pee (Whatever the temperature, Shown in humans)
Water presses on the body and pushes blood toward the chest: the kidneys make more urine at every temperature tested, and even more in very cold water. Source: Šrámek et al., « Human physiological responses to immersion into water of different temperatures », Eur J Appl Physiol, 2000 - The strongest shock (Up to 68 °F (20 °C), Hypothesis)
The shock of the first minutes may be strongest when the water is between 50 and 59 °F (10 and 15 °C) (to be checked). - Estimated curves (Whatever the temperature, Hypothesis)
Only the points at 57, 68 and 90 °F (14, 20 and 32 °C) are measured (and only 57 °F for noradrenaline); the curves between them are estimated.
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