One thing is clear: ice swimming is not for the faint-hearted! But whoever conquers the weaker self is known to do lasting good for health and well-being. The positive effects of cold baths have been known since ancient times. The famous ancient Greek physician Hippocrates was the first to describe the use of cold for the treatment of a variety of ailments. And Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is also known to have regularly chopped a hole in the ice cover of the Ilm River in winter in order to bathe in it.
But what is behind bathing in cold water from a scientific point of view? And how is cold used in medicine? Cold is often used to treat joint diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and chronic pain conditions. It is known that the immune system is sustainably strengthened and anti-inflammatory and calming hormones are released during bathing. This has a positive effect on resistance and reduces inflammation in the body. Other common uses are to improve performance and shorten rehabilitation times for athletes. The cold causes the vessels in muscle areas close to the surface to contract first and then expand again. This promotes the removal of waste products from the muscles and prevents inflammation.
The certainty that you can just step into 2 ˚C cold water and actually last several minutes in it without much training pleasantly challenges common dogmas (and you kind of feel like a super hero :-D). The human mind and body are capable of much more than we think. It is surprisingly easy to acquire a certain robustness and indifference to external challenges. Can this robustness in the face of challenges also be applied to daily life? I have yet to find out. I’ll keep you guys posted!
Uli
