Ice Bath Calories Burned

 In today's day and age, we are no strangers to ice baths and other forms of cold exposure. We know that athletes often use cold water therapy to recover from a game and/or prepare for the next one. Health specialists commonly prescribe some form of cryotherapy to treat various illnesses and chronic diseases.

But we're seeing a shift where more and more people get involved in ice bathing and cold plunging just so that they can take part in the health benefits. People have used cold water immersion for centuries to improve overall health. Today, we see incredible amounts of people seeing it reduce inflammation, soothe muscles, promote weight loss, and so much more!

What Is Cold Water Immersion?

Cold water immersion (CWI) is the process of immersion your body into ice cold water (less than 59˚F). This can be done immediately after an exercise to assist in recovery, or throughout the week to improve mood and overall health. It's even been known to help with weight loss in some cases!

Do Ice Baths Burn Fat?

Weight loss is always a topic of discussion. It has been since the beginning of time, and that isn't likely to change. In recent years, however, the conversation has morphed a little bit to include the possibility of including ice baths as a potential method. Research is promising and shows many people experience remarkable effects on their bodies' metabolisms and a reduction of body fat.

If you're interested in exploring some unconventional means of kicking your metabolism into burning calories, keep reading!

Benefits of Cold Water Immersion to Lose Weight

There are a range of benefits that come with intentionally lowering your core body temperature while in a controlled environment. CWI is a holistic approach to wellbeing, which means it affects your body and your mind.

Improved Circulation

When your arteries and veins are exposed to cold, they constrict (this is called vasoconstriction) and then, when they warm up, they open again (which is called vasodilation). This causes the blood to get more oxygen and flow more freely from the vital organs out to the peripheral tissues.

The long-term benefits of improved circulation can include improved metabolism (which is helpful on a weight loss journey) and cardiovascular health.

Reduced Inflammation

Inflammation is one of the main reasons the cold plunge became so popular. Athletes use cold plunging all the time to help with post-game fatigue. Professionals of all sorts use it after a workout to help keep inflammation down and make recovery quicker.

Cold water immersion reduces inflammation by enhancing blood flow and reducing the production of pro-inflammatory markers. Since your inflammatory responses are regulated when you participate in CWI, it allows your body to make quick work of recovering. It also helps with overall wellness by promoting long-term relief and protection against post-workout discomfort.

Enhanced Mood

Studies continue to demonstrate how exposure to cold temperatures boost dopamine production and help participants feel happy, joyful, and content. Regular cold plunging can help regulate feelings of anxiety and depression making it a perfect addition to any self-care routine.

How Cold Temperatures Affect the Body During Immersion

When the human body is exposed to cold temperatures, there are a series of physiological reactions that take place in order to maintain a stable internal temperature. This is called your thermogenic response. Dunking your body in an ice bath definitely stimulates the body's thermogenic response, which means more energy spent and greater potential for enhanced fat burning.

In addition to encouraging the development of brown fat (something we'll discuss a little bit later,) cold exposure causes the release of extra norepinephrine, which is one of the main hormones that regulate body temperature and metabolism. One of the ways this hormone balances your temperature is by stimulating the process of lipolysis, which is the breaking down of stored fat.

Factors That Influence Caloric Burn in Cold Temperatures

It's generally true that we burn more calories in cold temperatures than in warm ones. For example, when we shiver, our muscles contract and loosen very quickly to help raise our core temperature. When this happens, calories are burned. Not only that but shivering causes the production of the irisin hormone, which is the same one produced by exercise!

The simple fact is that your body works extra hard in cold environments to maintain an appropriate core body temperature. This leads to the activation of muscles and different hormones, which will assist in burning calories.

Understanding Brown Fat: The Body’s Natural Calorie Burner

Recent studies have given us more and more information on brown fat and why we want it. Unlike white fat, brown fat is highly active and compact. Its purpose is to burn calories as a means of generating heat. So, it stands to reason that exposing your body to cold will trigger your brown fat cells to start burning calories. Cold exposure results in an increase in metabolic activity and the breaking down of stored fat. The more brown fat you have as opposed to white fat, the greater potential there is for calorie burn and weight loss.

Brown fat (which is also called "brown adipose tissue," or "BAT") is concentrated in regions such as the neck and shoulders which means it's much more low profile than white fat, which tends to accumulate around the waist and belly. In short, we want brown fat, we don't want white fat.

How Many Calories Can You Burn in an Ice Bath?

One ice bath will not burn many calories, and it can't replace a healthy diet or lifestyle. However, if you cold plunge regularly, you will undoubtedly see results over time. Weight loss is a journey just like health, so don't expect to see immediate changes. You're much better off seeking cold exposure for health benefits and including it in your weight loss plan rather than using it explicitly for the calorie-burning aspect.

Is Cold Water Immersion More Effective at Burning Fat Than Exercise?

The short answer is, "no," but the real answer is much more subjective. A typical exercise regime, when pitted against a single cold plunge, will burn many more calories than the ice bath. However, it has a lot to do with what kind of exercise you're doing, what your goals are, and how frequently both the exercise and the cold plunges are happening. Ideally, both of these will be combined into a single program that's suited to your needs and goals.

Ice baths cannot replace an entire lifestyle of health and fitness, but the benefits we see from partaking in CWI can't be ignored! Combine ice bathing with your current wellness routine and see even more benefits, increased fat burning, and overall improved health!