Cold plunge vs. cryotherapy: Which is better?

Featured image source

Cold plunge and cryotherapy are the two most common forms of cold therapy. Most of you may know about cold therapy, but for those who don’t, it is a wellness practice where you expose your body to cold temperatures for specific durations. This cold exposure triggers a series of physiological and psychological responses in the body, which lead to physical and mental health benefits.

A cold plunge involves immersing a part of the body or the whole body, excluding the head and neck, in cold water. In contrast, cryotherapy involves exposing a part of the body or the whole body to cold air for a relatively shorter duration. Since both are different forms of cold therapy, the cold plunge vs. cryotherapy comparison is common.

Cold Plunge

Cold plunging is a centuries-old wellness practice popular for recovery and mental health benefits. For a cold plunge, the water temperature needs to be between 50°F to 59°F (10°C to 15°C). The duration you stay immersed in water can vary between 2 to 10 minutes, depending on your goals and your tolerance level.

Your Body’s Response to a Cold Plunge

When the cold water comes in contact with your skin, it initiates a stress response in your body. The first reaction of your body to cold is vasoconstriction, which is a narrowing of the blood vessels. This means more blood flows towards the core organs and a limited blood supply to the extremities.

This increased blood supply to core organs maintains an optimal internal temperature, which helps these organs function properly. As your body warms after you leave the cold plunge, it experiences vasodilation, which is a dilation of the blood vessels.

This alternate cycle of vasoconstriction and vasodilation is the basis of many physical health benefits of a cold plunge. The body’s response to cold also includes the release of certain hormones in the brain. These hormones are responsible for a number of mental health benefits of a cold plunge.

Effectiveness of Cold Plunging

Cold plunging is effective at improving several aspects of physical and mental health. These include:

1. Accelerated Recovery: A cold plunge is commonly used for recovery after workouts or intense physical activity sessions. It promotes recovery by narrowing the blood vessels and reducing the blood supply to the extremities, as discussed above. Studies show that this reduced blood supply in response to cold lowers muscle soreness, fatigue, and inflammation. This way, it accelerates recovery and makes it easy to stick to your workout routine.
2. Improved Cardiovascular Health: Regular cold plunging positively impacts cardiovascular health in several ways. For instance, the repeated cycle of vasoconstriction and vasodilation enhances the responsiveness of blood vessels to the variation of blood flow and pressure. It also trains the heart to respond better to stress, improving cardiovascular resilience in the long term.
3. Fat Burn: Exposure to cold water also stimulates the activation of brown fat, which is a type of fat that burns calories to produce heat. Through regular cold plunging, this activation of brown fat can assist with weight management. Research published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences indicates that activation of brown fat can also enhance insulin sensitivity, which is good for diabetic individuals.
4. Improved Mood: Improved mood is another significant benefit of a cold plunge. Exposure to cold water boosts mood by stimulating the release of mood-enhancing hormones like dopamine and endorphins. Additionally, the process of getting your mind ready for exposing yourself to cold water and then maintaining focus during the session can be a way of building mental resilience. Mental resilience can assist in handling daily stressors better.

To know more in detail about cold plunge benefits, we suggest you watch this YouTube video on cold plunge benefits by “Talking With Docs,” which is a YouTube channel by two licensed healthcare professionals from Canada:

Accessibility and Cost

Many people believe that regular cold plunging costs a lot and only athletes can afford to incorporate this thermal wellness practice into their routine. But in reality, cold plunging is easy to access for everyone, as you don’t need a fancy spa or expensive branded equipment to enjoy this wellness practice.

For example, you can get inflatable tubs online for under $100, which can serve the purpose. Other options include plastic or PVC plunge tubs that will not break the bank either. You can add some ice bags to the water and use a thermometer to monitor and adjust the temperature within your desired range.

If you want a completely hassle-free experience, you can get a membership at a gym or wellness center near you that offers a cold plunge facility.

If budget is not an issue, you can go for high-end cold plunge tubs that cost between $1,000 to $10,000, depending on the features you choose. These features can include chillers, built-in filters, underwater lighting, and the option to regulate water temperature from your smartphone.

Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy is a method in which cold air is targeted to a specific region of the body or the entire body. In most cases, liquid nitrogen is used as cold air with a temperature ranging between −148°F to −220°F (−100°C to −140°C). A cryotherapy session typically lasts for about 2 to 4 minutes, and this time frame is sufficient to experience its benefits.

Your Body’s Response to Cryotherapy

Since cryotherapy is also a type of cold therapy, it creates the same physiological and psychological responses in your body as a cold plunge would. However, because of the extremely low temperature in cryotherapy, those responses are usually quicker and more intense.

Your body initiates vasoconstriction when exposed to cold air in cryotherapy, similar to a cold plunge. But since session times for cryotherapy are shorter, the vasoconstriction is instantly followed by vasodilation. Shorter sessions are also the reason cryotherapy does not engage the body’s systems as deeply as a cold plunge.

Here is a great YouTube video by Clinical Physio that talks in detail about the effects of cryotherapy on the body and the best time to use it. Clinical Physio is an educational channel that provides teachings on different physiotherapy fields:

Effectiveness of Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy is most effective for:

1. Boosting Athletic Performance: Similar to cold plunging, cold exposure in cryotherapy lessens muscle pain and speeds recovery by changing blood flow. However, because the temperature is very low in a cryotherapy chamber, these effects occur instantly, which is useful for athletic performance. With quicker recovery through shorter sessions of cryotherapy, athletes can get back to practice without long gaps, which can result in improved performance.
2. Pain Management: Pain signals travel from your skin or deep tissues to the brain through nerves, which makes you experience the pain. Studies show that extreme cold in cryotherapy can numb these nerve endings and alleviate pain. This technique is commonly used in sports to manage pain caused by injuries like muscle sprains or bruises.
3. Mental Boost: Cold stimulus in cryotherapy also causes the release of endorphins and dopamine, like in a cold plunge. The action of these hormones leads to enhanced mental focus and overall improved mood.
4. Improved Skin Health: Cryotherapy enhances collagen production, which is a major structural protein in the skin. Increased collagen production improves skin elasticity, reduces wrinkles, and gives your skin a soft and smooth look.

Accessibility and Cost

Cryotherapy comes in various forms and its accessibility and cost vary accordingly. These include whole-body cryotherapy, localized cryotherapy, and cryofacial. The form of cryotherapy with the best benefits is whole body cryotherapy. It involves the use of a chamber that uses cold air to lower the internal temperature.

These types of chambers are costly if you are planning to own one for your regular sessions. Unlike cold plunges, they are also not commonly available in fitness centers. Only some high-end gyms, wellness centers, and physiotherapy clinics offer cryotherapy facilities.

In such facilities, a single session of whole-body cryotherapy can cost around $100. However, most facilities offer packages for regular users, which can help reduce the overall cost.

Which One Should You Choose?

Since you now know the advantages of each type of cold therapy, the next question that comes up is this: Between cryotherapy and cold plunge, which one is better? Or, what is the one you should opt for as a part of your wellness regimen?

Well, both options — cold plunge and cryotherapy — serve the basic purpose of cold therapy, which is recovery. However, depending on your requirements, accessibility, and cost, one of these may suit you better.

For example, if you’re an athlete, cryotherapy might be a better choice. Its quick sessions and immediate effects can support faster recovery. On the other hand, if you are not into intense physical activities and just want an overall good recovery tool, cold plunging is more convenient and a better choice.

Besides recovery, if you want to improve skin health, cryotherapy is a better option because of its collagen-producing properties. Similarly, if your goal is to support cardiovascular health, a cold plunge is relatively more advisable for this.

Cost and accessibility are also factors to consider when deciding between cold plunging and cryotherapy. Cold plunge is easily accessible and is a comparatively less costly way to incorporate cold therapy into your routine.

Conclusion

Cold plunge and cryotherapy are both popular types of cold therapy options that boost recovery and offer several other health benefits. People often make cold therapy comparisons to figure out which one is the best recovery therapy.

Cold plunging creates gradual but deeper impacts as the session durations are longer. In contrast, cryotherapy is known for its immediate and intense effects because of brief exposure to very low temperatures in cryotherapy chambers.

Which one is better for you depends on your cold therapy goals and factors like accessibility and cost. Cryotherapy might be best for professional athletes, but not every individual needs that intense form of cold therapy. Cold plunge, however, is a balanced approach to recovery with additional benefits like low cost and easy accessibility.