Cold plunges can change your cells

LIFESTYLE/HEALTH

Ever wondered what happens to your body when you take one of those trendy ice baths? Well, scientists at the University of Ottawa in Canada just found out.

A new study by the university’s Human and Environmental Physiology Research lab (HEPRU) has found that getting used to cold water immersion can improve the health of our cells and even program damaged cell to die in young males.

The study, conducted by Kelli King, postdoctoral fellow, and Glen Kenny, full professor at uOttawa’s School of Human Kinetics and Director of HEPRU, involved ten healthy young males who underwent cold-water immersion at 14°C for one hour across seven consecutive days. Blood samples were collected to analyse the their cellular responses before and after the immersion.

“Our findings indicate that repeated cold exposure significantly improves autophagic function, a critical cellular protective mechanism,” says Kenny. “This enhancement allows cells to better manage stress and could have important implications for health and longevity.”

(Autophagy is a natural, self-preservation mechanism whereby the body removes damaged or dysfunctional parts of a cell and recycles other parts toward cellular repair.)

“By the end of the acclimation, we noted a marked improvement in the participants’ cellular cold tolerance,” explains King, the study’s first author. “This suggests that cold acclimation may help the body effectively cope with extreme environmental conditions.”

The implications of this study extend beyond athletic performance. Cold water immersion (for example, ice baths) has gained popularity for its potential health benefits; this research provides some scientific evidence. Not only could such autophagic activity extend cellular longevity it may also prevent the onset of various diseases.

As the use of cold exposure becomes increasingly mainstream, understanding its effects on cellular mechanisms is vital. “We were amazed to see how quickly the body adapted,” notes King. “Cold exposure might help prevent diseases and potentially even slow down ageing at a cellular level. It’s like a tune-up for your body’s microscopic machinery.”

These results apply to young males and more research is needed to see if it would also apply to other groups.

We were amazed to see how quickly the body adapted. Cold exposure might help prevent diseases and potentially even slow down ageing at a cellular level. It’s like a tune-up for your body’s microscopic machinery.

Glen Kenny

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