You might have heard of the Wim Hof Method for mental and physical health that’s all the rage these days.
You can go to Hof’s website for a better explanation (and, of course, glowing testimonials), but the gist is that taking plunges in cold water, coupled with certain breathing techniques, is really good for your physical and mental health.
Chloe Williams at The New York Times has a fantastic read on the pros, cons, possible benefits, and risks of it, and I’d recommend you read that for a fuller picture.
But this is a blog, so I’ll just mention a few, quick things she points out, and a few other articles, as well.
First, its reportedly positive effects on mental health are mainly anecdotal and theoretical.
Anecdotal, because a lot of people swear by it.
But a lot of people have sworn by a lot of things that have ultimately proven to be nothing but the placebo effect.
And to that point, Williams makes a great point.
It’s really, really hard to run a clinical trial on the cold water plunge thing because the concept of a placebo group is tricky.
For example, one study that showed mental benefits to the Method merely compared the plungers to the people who watched on shore.
That’s not much of a blind control group.
Further, how do we know it’s the cold water that’s stimulating the mental benefits and not the fact that it’s exercise, which is one of the most powerful things you can do for your mental health?
It would be interesting to see a study comparing the plungers to, let’s say, some other group involved in vigorous physical exercise.
So studies are scarce, the limitations to those studies are significant, and researchers duly note that.
It’s impossible to say, with any empiric confidence, that the cold is the thing that helps with mental health.
Now, Williams notes that there are theoretical reasons, backed by science, of why it could be effective for mental health.
Immersing yourself in icy water triggers the release of stress hormones, such as noradrenaline and cortisol. This is likely why people say that a dip in cold water wakes them up, [Doctor Mike] Dr. Tipton said.
Some studies have also reported increases in brain chemicals that regulate mood, such dopamine, following a cold soak, which may explain the post-swim “high” people feel. In addition, putting your face in cold water can activate the parasympathetic branch of the nervous system, which prompts the body to relax after a stressful event. This may help people feel calm and tamp down inflammation. Several conditions, including depression, are tied to chronic inflammation, said Mark Harper, an anesthesiology consultant at Royal Sussex County Hospital, who is studying cold water swimming as a treatment for depression.
Some researchers also hypothesize that adapting to the shock of cold water may improve a person’s ability to cope with other stresses. A small 2010 study showed that people who were habituated to cold water had a reduced stress response when they were subjected to another strain — in this case, working out in a low oxygen environment. But enduring hypoxic exercise is not the same as enduring psychological stresses, however, and more work is needed.
So we can’t throw cold water entirely on the cold water thing.
It could be that it’s extremely helpful, it could be helpful for the other things noted (placebo effect, exercise, breathing etc).
But it’s important to also note that it could be harmful.
Williams notes that scientists say that initial cold water shock plunge could lead to arrhythmias and heart attacks.
And shallow water blackout has been suggested as another dangerous (fatal) side effect, with four people drowning of the suspected practice a few years ago.
That’s why it’s absolutely vital to talk to a doctor before doing this kind of thing.
Now a quick additional note:
The internet is awash with Wim Hof enthusiasts, skeptics, and “meh, it’s possible-ists.”
For the enthusiasts, you need go no further than his website and its testimonials.
For the skeptics, you can read “Wim Hof’s Cold Trickery.”
For the “meh, it’s possible-ists,” you can read the Cinemaholic’s take.
Some middle-ground voices (my favorite piece) say the positive effects are almost entirely explainable by solid scientifically-backed research, suggesting that breathing exercises are good for you, and The Cleveland Clinic notes that cold showers can be good for aspects of your immune system and circulation (though taxing on your heart and potentially dangerous for those with heart disease).
In that case, while the Wim Hof Method might be “new,” it sounds a lot like other trends that have some element of the truth, some element of the highly speculative, and some element of “Oh, I’m doing Wim Hof, bro” trendiness that will dissipate over time.
And some real risk.
In short, there’s not enough to say it works (and if so, by what means), or that it doesn’t.
But for those for whom the Hof Method has helped (either via true scientific or placebo effect), that’s awesome!
But remember that it comes with risks, as well.
[Painting: Sea of Ice, Caspar David Friedrich]
