What is cold water immersion?

❓ What is Cold Water Immersion?

🛀 Cold water immersion (CWI) is a recovery technique where individuals immerse themselves in cold water, typically ranging from 10 to 15 degrees Celsius, for a specific period. This practice is commonly used by athletes and fitness enthusiasts to enhance recovery and reduce muscle soreness and inflammation.

👉 How It Works

💪 1. Vasoconstriction: The cold temperature causes blood vessels to constrict, reducing blood flow to the muscles. This helps minimize inflammation and swelling by slowing down metabolic processes.

📉 2. Reduced Inflammation: By lowering the muscle temperature, CWI can help decrease the inflammatory response, reducing muscle soreness and stiffness post-exercise. However this is linked to a dampening effect on the effect of strength and resistance training which I’ll go into more detail in the next video.

📈 3. Improved Circulation: Upon exiting the cold water, blood vessels dilate (vasodilation), which can enhance blood flow and facilitate the removal of metabolic waste products from the muscles.

🧬 4. Endorphin Release: The cold shock can trigger the release of endorphins, which are natural painkillers, leading to improved mood and reduced pain perception. It’s believed that spending even up to 5 minutes in CWI, will release enough endorphins to positively affect your mood for hours during the day.

👍 Like this video if you learnt something new and comment below if you use CWI and if you have, the longest you’ve spent in there.