13/11/2025
I am often asked about the efficacy of cold plunging (particularly by female runners who wonder if it is worth suffering through!) This is an excellent article by Dr. Stacy Sims explaining the doâs, donâtâs and whyâs of cold therapy for womenâŚ. In short, it can be useful, but colder is not necessarily better!
Cold plunging has exploded in popularity, with everyone from elite athletes to wellness influencers posting their ice bath rituals. But long before it hit social media, cold-water immersion was a Nordic traditionâoften paired with saunasâas a way to build resilience, reset the mind, and connect socially. Those plunges werenât just about recovery; they were about ritual, renewal, and community.
Fast forward to today, and youâve probably seen the claims: âGo as cold as possible for maximum benefit.â But as is so often the case in exercise and recovery science, what works for men doesnât always work the same way for women.
When I see women shivering in tubs of icy-cold water at 4°C (39°F) because theyâve been told it will boost metabolism, burn fat, or supercharge recovery, I want to jump in (literally) and explain: you donât need to go that coldâand in many cases, itâs counterproductive.
Letâs unpack whatâs really happening physiologically, how cold exposure can support both health and performance, and why for women, the sweet spot often sits around 15°C (59°F)ânot ice-cold extremes.
âRead the full article >>> https://bit.ly/47OXVix
