COLD WATER SWIMMING?
A few days ago I received the latest issue of Scientific American and read an article which claimed that cold water swimming is surging in popularity. And today, I found a couple more accounts in which cold water swimming adherents maintain it can act as an anti-depressant and might help forestall dementia. Okay, that grabbed my interest—I’m ready to try almost anything that might work against dementia!
Even though I usually wear a wet suit, I can’t say I ever got a kick out of cold water swimming. When I was a bit younger and entered triathlons year-round, I’d train at the beach in Ventura Harbor. Sometimes in the late summer months, when the water temperature reached up to 70 degrees, it bordered on fun. Other times—late fall to spring—when the temperature stayed in the low 50s, not so much.
Alright, it’s already June, and not too cold (the water is 60 degrees today). I’m ready to give it a try and see if I can start enjoying it now at the beginning of summer. Who knows, maybe I’ll even get hooked and continue into the fall and winter months.
If you’re curious about exploring this “new” activity, please read these excerpts from the June 2024 Scientific American article by Jesse Greenspan, Is Cold Water Swimming Good for You?
Though sometimes overstated, the benefits of cold-water swimming are slowly becoming clearer
Cold-water swimming is surging in popularity, particularly in northern Europe, where groups such as the BluetitsChill Swimmers eschew tropical beach vacations in favor of frigid winter dips. Celebrity practitioners, including actors Kate Winslet and Bradley Cooper, have enhanced this icy pastime’s cachet.
As far back as 400 B.C.E., Hippocrates claimed that cold water swimming relieves fatigue. Aficionados have since credited it with benefits ranging from improved sleep to enhanced libido.
Cold-water bathers have reported pain relief from musculoskeletal injuries and decreased symptoms of depression, as well as feeling more alert and attentive overall. In one study, they reported improvements in mood after just one dip.
“You never find anybody who’s doing this activity who says it isn’t great,” says James B. Mercer, an emeritus physiologist at UiT the Arctic University of Norway, and lead author of a scientific review of 104 studies on cold-water immersion. “They all swear by it. They think it’s the most wonderful thing in the world.”
But Mercer adds that the health claims about cold-water swimming have been “quite difficult” to assess, partly because most studies on the subject have been small, with generally healthy participants and widely varying water temperatures and salinity levels. Researchers have struggled to tease out whether the cold water itself is helpful or whether the benefits come from, say, having an active lifestyle and socializing with friends.
More Research is Called For
“Most claims have no or very weak evidence,” says Heather Massey, a physiologist at the University of Portsmouth. Besides co-authoring several cold-water-immersion papers, Massey has swum the English Channel and dabbled in competitive “ice swimming” (in water colder than 41 degrees Fahrenheit).
Still, science doesn’t simply throw cold water on the perceived benefits. Although more research is needed, rigorous studies have suggested that regular cold-water exposure might combat obesity, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, muscle soreness, and diabetes, and it may also prepare the body to cope with stressors Mental health improvements have been largely anecdotal; a 2028 study followed a young woman who weaned herself off antidepressants with a cold-water-swimming regimen. Recruiting is currently underway for a randomized, controlled trial on outdoor swimming and depression.
Cold-water swimming does carry risks: it can cause hypothermia, drowning, and cardiac arrhythmia, and experts caution that people with health conditions should consult their doctors before trying a polar bear plunge. They also suggest easing in slowly when possible and not going alone.
Adherents insist there’s no replacement for “that feeling of euphoria and then peace,” says University College London researcher Joyce C. Harper.
“I recently swam in a semi-frozen lake, and I was overcome with uncontrollable laughter,” Harper says. When water’s too warm, she adds, it “loses some of its buzz.”
Here are some further suggestions from the April 29, 2022 bbc.com article by Smitha Mundasad, Cold water swimming: what is the safest way to do it?
If you are planning an open water swim, experts advise:
- Checking the weather – consider first taking up the pursuit when it is warmer
- Go with others who have experience of cold water swimming
- Make sure you establish a way of calling for help if you need it
- Immerse yourself in the water gradually
- Wear a wetsuit
- Float for the first few minutes and wait for the cold shock to pass and for you to regain control of your breathing
- Consider swimming near the shore, at least initially, and plan where you will get out of the water
- Your body can continue to cool down once out of the water so consider getting out before you are in too much discomfort
- Have a towel, dry clothes, and a hot drink ready to help you warm up