Debating the virutes of cold-water therapy
Welland man convinced, but Brock professor questions the benefits
Standing on the banks of the Welland recreational canal, Alex Ossa pulled two ice-filled cups from his backpack.
He drank them back before stripping down to a pair of shorts and sandals and heading into the near-freezing waters off Thorold Road in Welland. Ossa insists he’s not crazy — although his mother and stepfather disagree with him on that.
The 22-year-old Welland man slowly worked his way to waistdeep water before taking several deep breaths and submerging himself neck-deep.
A friend onshore started a stopwatch on his cellphone, making sure Ossa stayed in the water no longer than two minutes. Another friend used a small drone to capture the action.
Before Ossa set foot in the water, he measured the temperature with an infrared thermometer and spoke about why he was taking the chilly dip.
“I started getting into this because in the past I had some health and fatigue issues.”
The “this” Ossa was referring to is cold therapy or cold thermogenesis — a way of using cold water immersion to take care of various health issues.
“I was always into working out and fitness … I stumbled on this method. I like to explore new ideas,” he said.
He found research done by a neurosurgeon, who set out protocol for cold water immersion. “I decided to give it a shot to see how it works for me.”
He started in July by dunking his face in a sink full of cold water. Then he dunked his face in 10 C water every other night for a month. “And then I felt like I was ready to do an actual ice bath.”
Ossa bought a horse trough and filled it with cold water and large ice chunks. “It was really hard for me at first, but the more I did it the easier it became over time.”
Before his dip in the canal, 6 C was the lowest temperature Ossa reached. He could sit at that temperature for at least 15 minutes.
With the repeated dunking, Ossa noticed he had more energy, felt healthier and started to lose fat with little to no exercise. He said it has also helped him sleep better.
On this day, he said he planned to be in the canal for two to three minutes at most.
“I care about my safety, I’m not planning to swim. The biggest risk at this temperature is cold shock … I wouldn’t just jump in,” he said, adding a disclaimer that people shouldn’t just go out and try cold thermogenesis. “You do have to be careful.”
Although advising people they should consult their family doctor first before trying, Ossa said he hadn’t spoken with his before carrying out his research.
He added, “It’s good for my well-being and is very therapeutic.”
After getting out of the water, Ossa said everything in his body was telling him to get out. “Your survival instincts kick in … my arms and legs were a bit numb. My hands were stinging a bit,” he said, adding it was nevertheless a big rush.
Stephen Cheung, a professor in Brock University’s kinesiology department, said cold therapy or cold thermogenesis is, in his opinion, more of a psychological benefit than anything else.
“I don’t believe it has any major long-term health benefits,” he said.
Cheung said when a person goes into cold water their skin temperature drops rapidly, eliciting a cold shock response. “Your body responds with a very strong flight or fight response. You will hyperventilate and breathe more rapidly.”
A person’s resting heart rate can climb anywhere up to140 to 150 beats per minute — which could be dangerous for those with heart issues. If you’re in cold water for just a few minutes, there won’t be a significant drop in body temperature. But the longer you stay, your core temperature drops and hypothermia can set in.