Ice baths, the immune system and pain management
What are the health benefits of ice baths and cold water on the immune system?
If you know anyone who swims or dips in cold water regularly, they’ll often say something like “I can’t remember when I last had a cold”. This anecdotal evidence of the hundreds of regular swimmers and dippers we know, is now being backed by science…
Benefits
How can the cold strengthen my immune system?
When you take cold dips regularly, studies indicate that our immune system is boosted. There are many different types of immune cells in your body, and cold water increases their number in both the short term and long term, potentially supporting the body defence against infections.
Autoimmune disease vs. An ice bath
Twenty years ago, Rosie Marcel (best known for her role in the BBC1 drama, Holby City) was diagnosed with Behçet's syndrome. A rare condition that causes inflammation of the blood vessels and tissues. Painful swollen joints, sores, memory loss, and severe headaches were just some of the symptoms she faced. Discover her story and how her ice bath became the essential tool in managing her condition.
How does cold water and ice baths help manage pain?
Cold exposure stimulates the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, and increases levels of neurotransmitters like noradrenaline and hormones like dopamine. These enhance your mood and contribute to pain relief by reducing the sensation of discomfort. Cold water also reduces inflammation, a source of pain in itself, by inducing vasoconstriction, the narrowing of blood vessels, which decreases blood flow to affected areas. This reduction in blood flow minimises swelling and reduces inflammation.
Parkinson’s disease vs. An ice bath
Jules King lived with undiagnosed Parkinson’s disease for 16 years. When she started taking medication her life changed for the better, but her condition left her with chronic pain that affected speech and movement. She began swimming in the sea for the huge 250% dopamine hit delivered by the cold. In her own words, ‘When I got out, oh my good god, the pain in my legs just disappeared.’ Now, alongside her meds, she has a Brass Monkey barrel to support her life as an adaptive CrossFit athlete.
Our articles and guides on ice bath use for the immune system and pain management
Mulligan brothers: Wim Hof v Big Pharma
In collaboration with the Mulligan brothers, we’re granted exclusive access to Wim Hof’s home to speak to him about his global movement and how he’s challenging the pharmaceutical industry on how we treat illness and realise the true capabilities of the human body. He shares his heartbreaking journey that lead him to the cold, how he harnessed it and the science-defying events that made him a globally recognised name in the world of health and wellness.
Free guide to cold water exposure
Master your mental, emotional and physical health with our one-stop guide to deliberate cold exposure. Get the science behind the benefits, discover why it’s so good for you and how to get started.
We make the worlds finest ice baths
The ice has the power to change us for the better. Make us stronger. More resilient. More in control. That is why we build the world’s finest ice baths and cold plunges.
FAQs
Research suggests that cold-water immersion can enhance immune system activity by increasing white blood cells, leukocytes and monocytes. Read more here.
How cold water may help autoimmune conditions
1. Fighting inflammation
When you immerse in cold water, your blood vessels narrow (vasoconstriction). This can temporarily reduce the activity of inflammatory immune cells, helping with the chronic inflammation that drives many autoimmune symptoms.
2. Calming an overactive immune system
Research shows cold exposure can decrease certain immune markers (like MHCII on monocytes) that contribute to autoimmune reactions. This may help reduce the activity of the autoreactive T cells involved in attacking your own tissues.
3. Activating your body's natural calming system
The cold shock triggers your vagus nerve, a key part of your "rest and digest" nervous system. This activation helps balance your body's stress response and may help regulate an overactive immune system.
4. Building stress resilience
Regular cold exposure trains your body to handle stress better. Since stress often triggers autoimmune flares, developing this resilience could help manage your condition over time.
5. Boosting anti-inflammatory signals
Studies have found that practices combining meditation, breathing techniques, and cold exposure can increase anti-inflammatory compounds while reducing inflammatory cytokines that drive autoimmune activity.
It’s well understood that cold exposure, whether applied to the whole body (such as in an ice bath) or to a single area (e.g. cold packs), has benefits on reducing inflammation. Chronic inflammation is a key driver of the ageing process often casually referred to as ‘inflammaging’. Inflammaging is associated with many age-related diseases, including arthritis. Inflammation also occurs after periods of exercise. Research indicates that cold exposure most likely decreases inflammation in people with inflammatory conditions as well as in those who have undergone exercise training.
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