Swimmers tout health benefits of cold water immersion
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FLATHEAD LAKE — While the idea of plunging into near-frozen water might chill the faint of heart, there are those who believe cold-water immersion has significant health benefits.
Benefits include improved cardiovascular and lymphatic circulation, reduced muscle fatigue, and better mental health, according to articles published at pubmed.gov.
Specifically, ice baths are a known analgesic to relieve pain of high-intensity sports.
In the cardiovascular system, cold water stimulates blood flow as blood rushes to protect vital organs, increasing cardiovascular circulation.
Although the lymph system’s job is to cleanse the body of impurities, it has no central pump; instead, the lymph system relies on muscle movement to circulate. Cold-water immersion causes the lymph vessels to contract, forcing circulation to flush waste while simultaneously triggering white cells to attack the unwanted toxins.
And as far as mental health, cold water triggers neurotransmitters in the brain that simply make a person feel happy.
“Additionally, due to the high density of cold receptors in the skin, a cold shower is expected to send an overwhelming amount of electrical impulses from peripheral nerve endings to the brain, which could result in an anti-depressive effect,” according to Nikolai A. Shevchuka in a treatment study for depression done by the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in Richmond, Virginia.
Another key benefit of cold water immersion is weight loss, according to open-water swimmer Mark Johnston of Polson.
“There’s lot of information about converting white fat to energy-producing brown fat and the associated weight loss,” Johnston said. “Personally, I’ve lost 25 pounds since regularly swimming in the cold water.”
Technically, cold water soaking could lead to hypothermia after 30 minutes, Johnston noted. There are suggested training plans that introduce the cold water treatment gradually. Taking cold showers and ice baths every day will help acclimate the mind, which in turn trains the brain to accept discomfort as a necessary tool for improvement, according to Johnston. It’s something Johnston does on a regular basis, and he invites others to join him in the chilly dips.
On a November Saturday afternoon, Johnston and Ramon Mercado — a 33-year-old former U.S. Navy diver who did a tour with a Navy SEAL team — donned their caps and swim shorts, minus a wetsuit, and eased their way into Flathead Lake.
“After training to become a Navy diver, you develop a pain tolerance,” Mercado said.
The two walked into the cold water up to their waist, then waited a couple minutes to acclimate. Next they inched-in until the water level reached their chests. But this time the intention was more than just a cold soak; the men started swimming at the 5-minute mark.
“Around the 10-minute point you start to feel comfortable,” Mercado said.
“Then, at the 20-minute mark it starts getting cold, and you really start pushing it.”
At that point, Mercado said, a person has to decide to just get out and call it for a day, “or push through it. It’s how you react to everything that’s thrown at you. You have no control over it, but you can control how you react to it.” Mercado swam for 22 minutes that day, about 1,000 yards.
The two are currently training for a 1-mile open-water ice swim.
“That’s 1760 yards, a true mile, and should take 28 minutes,” Mercado noted.
Although a competitive pool swimmer, Mercado wanted to try something more challenging. Open water swimming in very cold water seemed like a good challenge, he said.
Because the air temperature is colder than the water, one might think the water may actually feel warm. Does it?
“Absolutely not,” Mercado said.
Yet there’s something to be said for cold water immersion. Also a running coach and triathlete, Mercado said he is familiar with cold water therapy for numbing muscle pain.
“Once I am training, I go to the gym six times a week, and being in cold water gets rid of all that muscle soreness,” he said.
Those who aren’t interested in swimming Flathead Lake in the winter months can still soak with the locals, once the ice in Polson Bay recedes. For more information, call Johnston at 406-298-FLOW (3569) or email Coach@FlowSwimmers.com.
