Cold water swimming - a neuroscientist explains (The Project TV)

There’s lots of fascinating studies around the effect of cold water therapy on depression, metabolism, and even resilience. These studies are small – we certainly need need some big studies to be done before we can make any sweeping conclusions. One study showed that hanging out in a 14°C bath for an hour increased dopamine by a whopping 250%. Dopamine is important for motivation and reward - it’s the thing that makes us feel good when we do something we enjoy. This is why cold-water swimming can be so addictive. If you’re trying cold water therapy, it should be the coldest temperature you can tolerate that makes you feel uncomfortable, but it should NOT be agonising. There’s a phenomenon called the cold shock response, and long story short - that can kill you (there are plenty of stories about people jumping into a cold lake and suddenly dying, even though they are great swimmers!). Always talk to your doctor before trying this, especially if you have underlying cardiovascular disease. I make a little cameo in this story for @theprojecttv