– Ice bathing has become very popular. Those who actively engage in it think it’s fantastic. For many years, there have been a number of claims about positive health effects, both in terms of mental health, sex drive, and much more. The words come from professor emeritus of medicine at UiT, James Mercer. Bathing in cold water can have a number of positive health effects, he says. Can. Because it is far from everything that is sufficiently proven. Mercer is the responsible author of an article in which researchers at UiT have looked closely at 104 different studies that have been done on ice bathing. The work has been peer-reviewed and published in the International Journal of Circumpolar Health. Professor Emeritus of Medicine James Mercer and his colleagues have researched other people’s research on ice bathing. Often this is called a “scientific review”, i.e. a scientific review of research in a specific area. Photo: Knut Steiness / UiT Errors and shortcomings in the research Ice bathing as a trend has emerged at the same time as, and perhaps together with, the tremendous popularity of saunas that have appeared all over the country in recent years. Mercer says that the studies on ice bathing have very different assumptions. Therefore, what could have been clear and exciting findings are hampered by the research method. These are the ice-bathing findings: Some of the studies Mercer and colleagues looked at provided evidence that cardiovascular risk factors are actually improved in swimmers who have adapted to the cold. However, other studies suggest that the workload on the heart increases. The review provided insight into positive relationships between swimming in cold water and brown adipose tissue (BAT), a type of “good” body fat that is activated by cold. BAT burns calories to maintain body temperature, unlike “bad”, white fat, which stores energy. The profile of swimmers who took part in the studies varied from elite swimmers and established winter swimmers to those who had no experience of winter swimming. Others were not ice bathers, but used cold water immersion as a post-exercise treatment. The main aim of the review was to find out whether voluntary exposure to cold water has health effects in humans. The method Mercer and the UiT researchers have used involves a detailed search in the scientific literature on ice bathing. Topics discussed are inflammation, fat tissue, blood circulation, immune system and so-called oxidative stress. Source: UiT. – Much of the research has few participants, and often only of one gender, he says and continues: – Everyone has done different things. Therefore, it becomes difficult to generalize or make strong claims about the effects ice bathing has on people, says Mercer. In addition, it is a challenge that it is not taken into account whether ice bathers may otherwise lead healthier lives than people who do not take ice baths. Because there are many people who have subjective opinions about the effects of ice bathing. Some people think that ice bathing has a positive effect on mental health, and say it helps with depression. For others, bathing gives them confidence, and for some it helps with spasms. – Many people find that they feel less stress and feel less tired. In the research, this is based on surveys. It is more difficult to do objective surveys, says Mercer. – But there is no doubt that there are more people reporting these things. Ice baths can also be dangerous, explains Mercer. For example, you must never take an ice bath alone. It can also be dangerous for people with heart problems. – Throwing yourself into freezing water is a great strain on the body, says the professor. Nevertheless, there are certain health effects that appear to be scientifically documented. Ice bathing appears to be able to reduce and/or transform the body’s fat tissue, he says. What do you have to keep in mind before jumping into the icy water? This video was made in 2021. Exciting “brown” fat And exactly this with fat is very interesting, says Mercer. The unhealthy fat, which many of us may have a little extra around the waist, is called white fat. “Brown” fat is something else. – Brown fat is packed with mitochondria. Newborns, for example, have loads of this. – Some studies have shown that ice bathers have more brown fat than others. If bathing in cold water can stimulate the production of brown fat, that is very exciting, says the professor. Newborns often have a lot of “brown” fat on their bodies, says Professor Mercer. He says brown fat is a hot topic in research these days. Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB White fat can turn into brown, and the brown fat uses the energy in the white fat as an energy source, says Mercer. Thus, it can help to get rid of the unhealthy fat. But without more conclusive studies, ice bathing will remain the subject of debate, Mercer believes. – We need more controlled studies on things that can be measured objectively, not just subjectively. A control group is needed, you have to distinguish between those who are new and those who have been around for a while, and you follow them over time, he states. These are time-consuming projects, but Mercer believes we will see just such studies in the future. – I think it will come. Especially since its popularity has increased so dramatically. For Marie (25), ice bathing is particularly successful
ttn-69
Is ice bathing healthy? Health effects on the heart, depression and psyche are being questioned by research – news Troms and Finnmark
