Oddbean new post about login | logout I would be concerned about the stress cold plunges would place on the adrenal glands... Granted, you will likely feel good, in the short term, as the glands are stimulated into action (via the shock), however over the long term, it's possible that you could end up in a situation of adrenal fatigue. A case of robbing Peter to pay Paul, if you will...
I think there’s risk of overdoing it of course. However, our modern lives generally have low levels of acute stress (more common is chronic stress) since we have such powerful control over our environments. So we don’t normally fast, get too cold, get too hot, or get enough physical work, etc. Especially white collar workers. So from my research, when not overdone, cold plunges basically just help bring people back toward a natural state of stimulation.
I have considered this modality for some time, however having spent many years coming to understand what it takes to rebuild the adrenal glands, when I hear someone tell me that 'they feel good' ... 'as long as they jog X miles every day', or 'as long as they sit in an ice bath every day', it raises red flags. If one requires going to such extreme measures, in order to feel good, that is a reliable indicator of adrenal insufficiency. Our ancestors were able to have very robust mental & physical health, without the need to go jogging every day, or sit in ice baths, etc. There are many forms of cold water therapy, a number of which don't involve shocking or overstimulating the adrenals (which at this time, tend to be weak, in most people). For now, these are the forms of cold water therapy that I will practise / reccommend to others.