This will be the main question you will be asking as soon as you jump in. The magic number to aim for is 15 minutes. Research has shown this has the most effective time to get the most out of the cold treatment. After 15 minutes, the effects are diluted just as the ice soon will be.
Ice baths may reduce inflammation, boost your mood, or relieve pain after a workout. There's no official recommendation for how to take an ice bath. But people usually spend 5 to 10 minutes in 50 to 59°F water. The cold-water plunges pose a risk to people with certain conditions.
Exposure to extreme heat or freezing cold for prolonged periods may not good for the body. If you take a dip, staying in an ice bath for more than 15 minutes is not recommended. Listen to your body. If you notice you are getting very tired or your skin is changing colors, it's time to get out.
Ice Bath Tips
Use a little bit of ice and slowly add more, increasing the ice level as your tolerance builds. This will help you ease into taking ice baths regularly if you plan on using cold therapy as a form of treatment. Try to stay in the ice bath for as long as you can, but do not exceed 15 minutes.
The general consensus from the literature is that the ideal length of an ice bath is 11-15 minutes. This maximizes the cryotherapy benefits of cold water immersion without inducing excessive stress or putting tissues at risk of frostbite or the body at risk of hypothermia.
There are several adverse effects of overdosing your deliberate cold exposure, including: hypothermia, frostbite, and brain fog. In healthy bodies, rewarming reverses ill effects -- except for frostbite. Use these precautions to minimize your risks of ice bath overdose, and still get your ice bath benefits.
Health Risks
“There is also some evidence of a reduction in cerebral artery blood flow, which at very cold water temperatures can cause syncope [fainting] characterized by drowsiness, blurred vision, and a loss of responsiveness in some individuals.”
How long do athletes sit in ice baths? A 2016 meta-analysis of ice bath studies found that athletes experienced the best results after soaking in water temperatures between 10 and 15 °C (50 to 59 °F) for 10 to 15 minutes. If you're attempting this at home, be sure to check the tub's temperature using a thermometer.
“Don't go too cold and don't go for more than five minutes, just to make sure you can tolerate it.” Studies show that after a few minutes, an ice bath doesn't do much for you anyway, “There is some research that shows that after two to three minutes, additional benefits taper off,” Dr. King says.
Taking an ice bath, especially after strength training, will help accelerate recovery and reduce fatigue by preventing inflammation, stimulating the central nervous system, and developing regulated breathing.
Considerations For Your First Ice Bath
It's okay to start with just a few minutes. Even 2-5 minutes are okay.
You can take ice baths daily or multiple times a week. There's no recommended limit. Generally speaking, if your goal is to build the strength or size of your muscles, it's best to take an ice bath 24 to 48 hours after your training session.
A good target time for a cold plunge is three minutes in the water. Eventually you will be able to add more time, but the most important thing is to listen to your body. For complete cold plunge beginners, you can develop your tolerance by taking a quick dip (30 seconds) or regular cold showers.
A good protocol for recovery involves immersing yourself in ice-cold water for 5 minutes. The water should be around 50°F (10°C) or colder. Research shows this can be an effective way to improve recovery time and reduce muscle damage after high-intensity exercise.
That means you also don't want your tub so cold that you'll struggle with consistency. Ice baths and cold plunges are typically between 38°F to 45°F, but personally, the sweet spot for me lies somewhere between 45°F and 52°F. You can always stay in longer!
The three dangers associated with ice baths and cold plunging are: drowning, hypothermia, & heart attack. To minimize these risks follow these safety protocols: 1) plunge sober & supervise children, 2) go feet first, 3) breathe, and 4) allow time to rewarm.
Whether from injuries, surgery, or other skin ailments, ice baths offer much-needed relief from swelling and inflammation. This not only provides immediate relief from pain, but it also helps tighten up the skin and reduce how visible wrinkles are.
Czech researchers found that cold water plunging can increase blood concentrations of dopamine — another so-called happy hormone made in the brain — by 250%.
It is advisable to stretch a bit after an intense workout session, but you might sometimes forget and hop right into the cold bath. So, should you stretch after this cold water immersion therapy? Yes, it would be best if you stretched but only once your body temperature has reached normal heat levels.
Ice Baths Decrease Pain Perception And Reduce Swelling.
In addition, ice bathing reduces blood flow to submerged areas, which mitigates edema (swelling). These two factors can make ice baths very useful for treating trauma injuries.
There is also the possibility of a shock to the body if you move from cold to hot and vice versa in an instant. You want to get back to your core body temperature through active recovery. You are better off drinking a warm beverage after taking ice baths as opposed to trying to quickly get warm with warm water.
Ice baths stimulate our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, stress response, and recovery process, all of which contribute to a natural high and boost in mood and attitude. Gardner says cryotherapy can also aid in sleep, and consequently, making you feel better by being less fatigued.
A cold shower to “cool off” might seem a good immediate choice. We feel cooler because of the combination of the cold water and the decreased blood flow to the skin, but in fact our core will get warmer because of reduced heat loss from the body without skin blood flow. Some minutes later, we feel hot again.
It also found that those who took regular cold showers and ice baths had a significant decrease in cortisol levels (a stress hormone) compared to those who only took hot showers. This decrease in cortisol is why ice baths can improve your mood and alleviate anxiety and depression.