The popularity of cryotherapy is increasing, and the benefits are no longer exclusively enjoyed by the likes of elite athletes. Increasing numbers of people are taking the plunge into an ice bath or simply switching the shower to cold for a minute to experience the difference that cold water can deliver.
Whether it’s being used to improve mental health or enjoy the physical benefits, cold therapy is an invigorating experience that can be useful for a broad spectrum of people. When it comes to how you engage with cold therapy, you’ll have two options. The first is taking a cold shower, and the second is fully immersing yourself in an ice bath.
If you’ve already dabbled in cold therapy with a shower but want to know if the benefits of ice baths are more significant, we’ll explain how they compare.
Comparing Ice Baths and Cold Showers
There are three key factors that differ when it comes to comparing cold showers with ice baths. The temperature, duration of your ice bath or cold shower and the degree of immersion all influence how your body reacts to the cold exposure, both mentally and physiologically.
Intensity and Duration
Studies have found that to attain the maximum benefits from cold therapy, you’ll need to be exposed to temperatures of 15℃ or less. You’ll also need to be in the cold water for a minimum of 2 minutes, working your way up to a longer period of 10 minutes when you’re more experienced.
When you’re starting out, you’ll more than likely want to begin with a moderate temperature of around 10℃ to allow your body to adjust. The more sessions of cold therapy you do, the better equipped you’ll be to handle lower temperatures. Another important factor in cold therapy is ensuring that the cold water you’re in stays at a consistent temperature for the duration of your session.
When it comes to comparing the temperature in ice baths vs. cold showers, ice baths offer more control and lower temperatures overall. The weather largely influences the temperature of your cold shower and can vary significantly depending on the season. The coldest water you can get from your tap is around 15℃, but it can be warmer in the summer months. This means if the coldest you can achieve is 15℃, it’s already the warmest it can be to deliver any results.
By contrast, ice baths can be lowered to the specific temperature you choose, ensuring you’re getting the best temperature for your preferences. Modern ice baths can also maintain your preferred temperature for the full duration of your session, meaning you’re getting a more consistent ice bath experience.
When it comes to duration, many people will find standing in a cold shower for several minutes a waste of water and overall less effective than the full immersion that an ice bath offers.
Benefits and Drawbacks
Cold exposure offers a range of benefits for your mind and body, though these benefits differ slightly depending on whether you use an ice bath or cold shower.
One of the most obvious benefits is that the icy temperatures can be a wonderful step in post-workout recovery. The cold delivers some relief to tired and achy muscles while also reducing the blood flow to the area initially. This function, referred to as vasoconstriction, can help lessen the inflammation your muscles experience after intense exercise.
Along with reducing the pain and swelling in your muscles, extreme cold can also help on a deeper level to calm your nerves and increase dopamine. When your body is exposed to either extreme cold in an ice bath or extreme heat in a sauna for a short period of time, it triggers the positive stress response in the body. It’s experienced in your parasympathetic nervous system, specifically the vagus nerve. This is a period of short, quickly resolved stress that then triggers the release of endorphins, which not only help relieve pain but also give you a dose of happy, mood-boosting hormones.
Depending on why you’re using cold therapy and the nature of your health, you may be better off with either an ice bath or a cold shower. Cold showers are a good entry point for you to experiment with. They can easily be done at home and don’t require any extra equipment to get started.
If you have health concerns like cardiovascular issues, or extremely high or low blood pressure, the more mild temperatures of a cold shower are a safer choice for you. One drawback with showers is that if you’re trying to treat a specific joint or limb, they’re not as easy to use on isolated areas of the body. Equally, if you want very cold water, showers are limiting, and it can be hard to know exactly how cold your shower is without testing the water with a thermometer.
By contrast, ice baths can deliver incredibly precise temperatures. Options like an ice bath chiller give you all the control you need from your phone. They’re ideal for full-body immersion, giving you more comprehensive coverage rather than the scattered cold water of a shower. Ice baths also make it easier to isolate the body parts you want to submerge if you’d rather not get into the bath fully due to health concerns or comfort reasons.
Suitability
While ice baths and cold showers can both offer a multitude of benefits, ice baths deliver the more extreme levels of cold that are needed for optimal results. However, depending on your body’s unique constitution, one option over the other may be better for you.
We’d recommend choosing a cold shower if you say yes to the following:
- You haven’t tried cold therapy before and want to see how your body handles it well.
- You have heart conditions, extreme blood pressure, or concerns about how well your body would handle the cold.
- You’re happy to experience more moderate temperatures and don’t need to isolate any particular joint or injury.
If you’re saying yes to the following questions, we’d recommend an ice bath for you:
- You’re especially interested in the physical benefits of cold therapy, whether it’s for an old injury that gets inflamed or you exercise regularly and want to improve your recovery.
- You’d like to build up your tolerance to cold and control the temperature you’re exposed to a very precise degree.
- You’re generally in good health with no heart issues and want to enjoy the bracing benefits of an ice bath on a more regular basis.
- You want to have precise control over your cryotherapy and prefer full submersion rather than short bursts of cold.
While both can help alleviate muscle soreness, boost mood, and aid in recovery, ice baths offer these benefits to a greater degree due to greater coverage and lower overall temperatures.
If you’re interested in an ice bath, even with health concerns like low blood pressure, we recommend talking to your general practitioner about what’s safe for you. With options like an ice bath chiller that can keep the water temperature within a safe and controlled limit, you can still enjoy the benefits of cold therapy.
For more information or any questions you may have, you can contact our team at any time.