Cold plunges are ‘unnecessary’, can cause long-term damage to the body, expert claims

Health experts have issued a stark warning against the wellness trend of cold plunging, claiming it can put your heart at risk.
Cold plunging, or taking an ice bath, is believed to boost your immune system and cardiovascular health, but it could cause unnecessary stress to your body.
The American Heart Association has warned that prolonged immersion in cold water can damage the heart muscle.
Wellness influencer Olivia Amitrano has also voiced her concerns, stating that cold plunging can do more harm than good, particularly for women.
She told The Mirror US: “You may notice that men run a lot hotter and have more warmth or yang energy in their bodies compared to women.
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“You may have a husband, boyfriend or brother that always wants the air conditioner as cold as possible in the summer, when you’re shivering and have to add layers in the house.”
“Men are more yang, whereas women are a bit more yin; men naturally run hot and can sweat from the slightest of activities. For this reason, men are far less affected, especially in the short term by extreme cold exposure such as cold plunging or winter weather.”
“They likely get more of the benefits (ie those happening in the brain in terms of our pleasure chemicals) with less of the cons that come with exposing oneself to direct cold.” Speaking about its benefit, she says cold plunging “works” as a hormetic stressor, a process in which your body and cells respond, recover, and improve after mild stress.
“Many things are considered hormetic stressors: not just cold exposure, but hard exercise and even slight exposure to pollution for a short period of time. But I wouldn’t necessarily do a pollution plunge every morning,” she added.
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“After being exposed to this painful, hormetic stressor, the brain is flooded with happy chemicals, and the body is flooded with cold shock proteins. However, there are many other ways to get these chemicals, and heat shock proteins have the same benefit without the unnecessary exposure to cold.”
She said cold plunging can negatively impact a woman’s menstrual cycle in the long term because the body has to work overtime to warm itself back up.
Olivia explained: “The body has to utilize so much of our yang energy in order to warm you back up after exposure to extreme cold, it takes a bit of a toll on the body and dips into your reserves, depleting that yang energy that you want to preserve.”
“This is especially key when you’re around your menstrual cycle, as you want to avoid exposure to wind and cold as much as possible in order to build your heat and warmth and support blood flow before during, and after menstruation to prevent stuck or stagnant blood.”
Olivia said people can get hooked on cold plunging because it releases “happy hormones” in the brain, making you feel great. But she warned you can get these good feelings without stressing your body and risking chest pain, irregular breathing, hypothermia, or frostbite.
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