How wild swimming could help you to shed the pounds

IT’S the craze that celebrities and influencers swear improves wellbeing.

Now experts think wild swimming could also be good for your waistline.

Taking a dip in cold water could cut ‘bad’ body fat in men and reduce the risk of diabetes, according to a major review.

Swimming in water with temperatures below 20C (68F) was found to burn calories and help weight loss. Scientists believe it releases fat-busting hormones, which can help to protect against obesity and heart disease.

But they warned that potential pitfalls, including hypothermia and heart and lung issues, mean it is some way off being prescribed as an activity to shed the pounds.

There is less evidence of the potential health benefits for women as most research on the topic studies men.

Wild swimming takes place in rivers, lakes or the sea, with temperatures usually lower than in swimming pools where water is typically between 26C and 28C (79F and 82F). The review of 104 studies looked at the effects of icy plunges on adipose tissue, blood circulation, the immune system, inflammation and oxidative stress.

It found evidence suggesting immersion in cold water triggers a shock response in the body, such as elevated heart rate.

Icy dips were also found to activate brown adipose tissue, a type of ‘good’ body fat which burns calories to maintain body temperature. They increased production of adiponectin, a protein that plays a key role in protecting against insulin resistance and diabetes, according to the findings published in the International Journal of Circumpolar Health.

The findings come as extreme sportsman Ross Edgley looks to complete a 48-hour, non-stop swim around Loch Ness.

The 36-year-old, from Lincolnshire, has been training in Scotland for almost a month for the bid to break the record for the longest tideless open-water swim.

But rather than shedding pounds, he has gained almost a stone by following a 10,000 calorie per day diet to help his body stay insulated from the cold.