Key Takeaways:
- This piece explains what cold therapy is and explores the science-based potential for its effects on mental wellness, going beyond just physical recovery.
- While not a cure, evidence suggests cold therapy can reduce anxiety-like symptoms by activating the body’s natural calming mechanisms, like the vagus nerve.
- Cryotherapy acts as a controlled stressor, helping build long-term resilience that can prompt the release of mood-elevating neurotransmitters and hormones.
High-performance individuals, such as athletes, often experience intense pressure to perform, avoid failure, prevent injuries, and maintain personal relationships and academic standings. These pressures are usually unjustly self-inflicted, leading to intense feelings and overwhelming emotions.
People dealing with this type of performance anxiety often want relief, but they use what they know to find it. They put in more hours at the gym, on the track, or in the pool because they have learned to find relaxation through exertion. But what if there is a better way? What if you can reduce anxiety through targeted cold therapy?
Now, the research is still relatively young regarding the effects of cold or cryotherapy on mental health. That said, there is an increasing number of people who swear by cold plunges and cold showers for mental health benefits, not just physical recovery.
Aquilo Sports is always interested in the benefits of cold therapy (conventional and unconventional), and we decided to look into these claims to discover what the science says. Honestly, the results of our deep dive are interesting, but they don’t point to anything conclusive. They ultimately suggest cold treatment produces unique physiological responses, which may explain why people feel better after cold exposure. Does that mean cold therapy can reduce anxiety? You be the judge.
What Is Cold Therapy?
Before going too far down the rabbit hole, let’s first define cold therapy. It’s often called cryotherapy, and is a specialized recovery technique that uses low temperatures to treat pain, reduce swelling, and promote muscle recovery. The Aquilo system uses a targeted approach to this type of therapy, helping athletes avoid uncomfortable ice baths or cryotherapy chambers.
The reason cryotherapy works is that it numbs the nerve endings, slows the body’s inflammatory response, and potentially limits cellular activity to minimize further tissue damage. These are all claims that have many reports and studies backing them up. The claim that cold therapy can reduce anxiety is newer, with fewer long-term studies to support it.
Why Do People Experience a Mood Boost After Cold Therapy?
So, with limited evidence, how can we say definitively one way or the other that cold or cryotherapy affects mood? As an absolute, it’s impossible and immoral to claim cryotherapy has any direct or lasting impact on anxiety. However, it’s possible to say that cold therapy benefits can result in temporary mood boosts or stress relief. We say this with confidence because of the known effects it has on the vagus nerve, neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine, and dopamine release.
The Vagus Nerve
One of the reasons people may believe cold therapy can reduce anxiety is its effect on the vagus nerve. See, this particular nerve is the main highway for your body’s parasympathetic nervous system (its rest and digestive system). When healthy, it supports a strong “vagal tone” that typically improves stress management.
Cold exposure to the face or neck can activate the vagus nerve through what’s known as the diving reflex. Essentially, the cold sends a signal through the nerve to the brain that tells it to calm down the body, slow the heart rate, and conserve energy. This all triggers a feeling of calm.
You’re likely familiar with this response. Did your mother ever tell you to splash some water on your face to calm down? Or, consider the number of times people reference taking a cold shower to settle down. While a splash of cold water can produce the same effect, longer, more targeted cold therapy exposure can likely reduce anxiety-like feelings for longer.
Our CCT1500 + Shoulder Wrap system applies precise cold therapy to the back, shoulders, and neck area to benefit and stimulate the vagus nerve. This focused exposure can promote the same sense of calm experienced through the diving reflex. The added active compression, similar to a massage, may heighten this relaxing effect.
Neurotransmitters and Building Resistance
Beyond the effect on the vagus nerve, another potential benefit of cold therapy is its role as a hormetic stressor. The concept of hormesis is that a small, controlled stress event can trigger adaptations that make the body stronger and more resilient.
For example, research suggests that cold exposure can increase the production and release of norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter involved in focus, vigilance, and mood elevation. This particular neurotransmitter also plays a significant role in dopamine production (the body’s motivation and reward hormone), which might explain why people believe cold therapy can reduce anxiety.
Aquilo’s patented cryotherapy systems, such as the CCT1500 Control Unit paired with any of our compression wraps, allow you to harness these cold therapy benefits with precision. Unlike the fluctuating temperatures of ice baths, our system provides a consistent and controlled level of cold. This is crucial for safe and effective use of cryotherapy principles.
Is Cryotherapy a Useful Tool for Mental Health?
Now that you understand what cold therapy is and how it can affect mood, it’s time to answer whether cold therapy can reduce anxiety. Honestly, as a treatment for anxiety (the medical condition), there is not enough tangible or defensible evidence to support the claim.
But does that mean it has zero effect on mental health and mood? Not exactly. See, the science tells us that cold exposure can act as a positive stressor on the system, stimulating bodily responses and releasing hormones that may have a temporary and positive effect on mood.
Our system takes the known benefits of cold therapy and attempts to maximize them. Our control units and compression sleeves provide a controlled, targeted, and precise temperature to a specific area, helping avoid potential risks (frostbite and hypothermia) of other methods. To learn more about our cold therapy products, contact the Aquilo team today!
