Cold plunging may help heart, mental health, University of Oregon study shows

(The Center Square) - Many Instagram influencers say that cold plunging improves mental and physical health and helps people recover from exercise more quickly.

Researchers say it may provide some health benefits, according to a study from the University of Oregon. The Journal of Thermal Biology published the study in December 2023.

“We found that a 15-minute immersion can help specific biomarkers of physiological health and improve participants’ psychological well-being,” Chris Minson, the Kenneth and Kenda Singer Professor in Human Physiology at the UO, said in a press release from the University of Oregon.

Along with his team, Minson tracked many health measures in college students before, during, and after a short cold-water immersion. The researchers found significant reductions in participants' heart rate and blood pressure, plus cortisol, a common stress biomarker, following the cold plunge.

Additionally, the researchers noted that these participants had better moods three hours after these immersions.

Minson and his team wanted a better understanding of how these immersions impact cardiovascular health, so they looked more closely at how blood moved through participants’ blood vessels.

"Blood flow follows a specific pattern during rest," the release said. "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."

Milson and his colleagues thought the stress of cold immersion could alter the shear stress patterns of participants, offering a potential link to health benefits.

The research concluded that modest changes to shear stress patterns after cold-water immersion, measured via ultrasound, suggest that "changes in shear stress may help drive the cardiovascular benefits of cold-water immersion," the release said.

The work will further explore the array of benefits offered by this practice. It includes the "relationship between cold-water immersion, cardiovascular health, and psychological well-being," the release said.

The study looked at the impact of one 15-minute cold-water session. However, Minson and his colleagues want to understand how repeated cold-water immersions may impact cardiovascular health and psychological well-being. Additionally, the lab is exploring how environmental stressors, including heat exposure, impact health and body function.

“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 in the release.

The National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association, and the Kenneth and Kenda Singer Endowed Professorship in Human Physiology funded this study.