Cold plunging might help heart health, according to recently published research from Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance at Oregon investigator Chris Minson

Scores of Instagram influencers are eager to convince you that dunking your body into a frigid bath will boost your physical and mental health, and help your body recover more quickly from exercise.

While it’s not a miracle cure, there might be some health benefits to cold plunging, new research from the University of Oregon suggests. The research, led by Human Physiology graduate student Emma Reed alongside Chris Minson, the Kenneth and Kenda Singer Professor in Human Physiology and a principal investigator in the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance at Oregon.

The study appeared in the December 2023 edition of the Journal of Thermal Biology.

“We found that a 15-min immersion can help specific biomarkers of physiological health, and improve participants psychological well-being” Minson said.

Minson and his team measured a variety of features of college students before, during, and after a cold immersion. They found a significant reduction in participants' heart rate, blood pressure, and a common stress biomarker called cortisol, after cold-water immersion. And they noted that participants reported lower negative moods after immersion, suggesting that this practice can help a variety of health and psychological factors.

To understand how these chilly experiences really support cardiovascular health, Minson and his team looked more closely at the way blood moved through participants blood vessels. 

Blood flow follows a specific pattern during rest. But during exercise, this pattern changes—the blood puts greater force on the vessels it’s flowing through, increasing what’s known as shear stress. Over time, this can enhance cardiovascular health. Minson and his colleagues speculated that the stress of cold immersion might alter the shear stress patterns in participants and provide a potential link to health benefits. 

The researchers found slight changes to shear stress patterns after cold-water immersion, measured through ultrasound, suggesting that the changes in shear stress may help drive the cardiovascular benefits of cold-water immersion.

Future work will continue to explore the full spectrum of benefits offered by this seemingly simple practice, including the relationship between cold-water immersion, cardiovascular health, and psychological well-being. 

This current study examined the impact of a limited 15-minute cold-water immersion, but Minson and his team have ongoing interests in understanding what chronic cold-water immersions do to cardiovascular health and psychological well-being. The lab is also exploring the effects of other environmental stressors on health and function, including heat exposure.

“Together, this work advances our understanding of the tangible benefits that cold-water immersion may provide athletes and the broader spectrum of individuals seeking to improve their health and well-being,” Minson said.

 — By Rachel Lukowicz-Bedford, Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance at Oregon Communications