The Science of Ice Baths 冰浴里的科學(xué)

艾薩克·威廉姆斯/文　左自強/譯

Whether or not you would personally plunge into an ice bath， cold-water therapy is having a moment.

不管你是否愿意親自嘗試冰浴，冷水療法正風(fēng)靡。

It sounds like a form of torture. If you wince at the idea of lowering yourself into a regular swimming pool， why voluntarily cover yourself in water around the temperature at which it turns to ice？ Well， having an ice bath is able to have the word ‘therapy affixed to the end of it because of the purported benefits for the body and perhaps even the soul.

冰浴聽上去就有一種摧殘人的感覺。如果一個人光是想到下進(jìn)普通泳池就膽戰(zhàn)心驚的話，怎么會心甘情愿地泡進(jìn)溫度低至冰點左右的水里呢？其實，“冰浴”后面可以加上“療法” 一詞，因為據(jù)說冰浴對身體甚至心靈都有益處。

“Like coffee on steroids1”

“像喝了功效加倍的咖啡”

Kyle Miller lives in Finland， close to Norvaj?rvi， a lake in the Lapland region2 in the north. Ice baths are a daily routine for him—and around 50% of Finnish people. Every day， he walks out of his house in the morning and reaches the lake within two minutes.

凱爾·米勒生活在芬蘭，家住芬蘭北部拉普蘭地區(qū)諾瓦賈維湖附近。冰浴是他和大約半數(shù)芬蘭人的日常慣例。每天清晨，米勒都會走出家門，用不了兩分鐘就可以到達(dá)湖邊。

There， he lowers himself into a hole that he hacked out of the ice himself， where he stays for 20 calm breaths—approximately two minutes.

他自己在冰面上鑿了一個洞，就從這個洞下水，在水中平靜地呼吸20次——大約兩分鐘。

“Its like coffee on steroids，” he says. “Everything in your system is like， ‘Whats going on？ OK， Im awake; Ive never felt so alive in my life; this is amazing; I want to get out of here.”

“就像喝了功效加倍的咖啡?！彼f，“身體各處的感覺就像，‘怎么回事？哈，我清醒了。我感受到了這輩子從未有過的活力。太神奇了。我要出去了。”

Miller calls the practice “an immediate shock of adrenaline on your system”， for obvious reasons. He says， “After going through such a challenging ordeal， Im ready to take on anything and everything in the world.”

米勒將這種體驗稱為“腎上腺素對人體的直接沖擊”，而原因顯而易見。他說：“在經(jīng)歷過如此具有挑戰(zhàn)性的嚴(yán)酷考驗之后，我隨時可以迎接世上的一切挑戰(zhàn)?！?/p>

So what are the concrete benefits？ Cold-water therapy， and its close cousin cold-water swimming， have demonstrated encouraging results in various studies as ways to improve wellbeing， both physical and mental.

那么，冷水療法具體好在哪呢？冷水療法以及與其相近的冷水游泳在各種研究中都顯示出了可喜效果，可使身心雙雙受益。

Perhaps most famously， the method is prescribed as a way to mitigate muscle soreness. Like applying ice to a wound， says Miller， it is intended to act as a form of pain relief.

這種療法最顯著的益處也許就是可減輕肌肉酸痛。米勒說，就像在傷口上敷冰一樣，這種療法能起到緩解疼痛的作用。

Various studies in the last ten years have discovered that cold-water immersion can improve muscle pain to some extent. In 2018， cold-water immersion in rugby players was said to have provided “some beneficial effect by reducing fatigue and soreness”; in 2014， another study concluded that “cold-water immersion appears to facilitate restor- ation of muscle performance in a stretch-shortening cycle”.

過去十年的各種研究表明，泡冷水可以在一定程度上緩解肌肉疼痛。2018年有研究結(jié)果表明，泡冷水為橄欖球運動員“消除疲勞、減輕酸痛，產(chǎn)生了一定的有益影響”。2014年的一項研究總結(jié)稱：“泡冷水似乎有助于肌肉在牽拉-收縮循環(huán)中的狀態(tài)恢復(fù)?！?/p>

Inflammation is a malady treated well by cold temperatures， because blood vessels constrict， helping to bring down swelling.

低溫療法可以很好地治療炎癥，因為低溫可以使血管收縮，從而有助于消除腫脹。

The benefits go on. A 2013 study demonstrated a link between cold acclimation—different to cold-water therapy but still all about reducing body temperature—and the production of brown adipose tissue activity， which helps us lose weight.

低溫療法的益處不止于此。2013年的一項研究表明，冷適應(yīng)（不同于冷水療法，但仍與降低體溫有關(guān)）與棕色脂肪組織產(chǎn)生活性之間存在關(guān)聯(lián)，而有活性的棕色脂肪組織有助于減肥。

Weight loss would be unsurprising given that the technique is also proven to increase metabolic rate： when you submerge your body in cold water， your heart rate tends to go up and your body works harder to efficiently pump blood around the circulatory system.

能產(chǎn)生減肥效果并不令人驚訝，因為低溫療法經(jīng)證明還可以提高人體的代謝速率：浸入冷水中，心率通常會上升，身體會更努力地泵送血液，有效促進(jìn)循環(huán)系統(tǒng)運轉(zhuǎn)。

Patchy proof

有待進(jìn)一步研究

It is also said that cold-water therapy improves your sleep. Anecdotally， that could well be true for many people， but there are studies that have found both positive and non-existent correl-ations. In fact， there are more studies demonstrating a link between good sleep and hot showers than good sleep and cold showers.

還有說法稱，冷水療法可以改善睡眠。據(jù)稱，這對許多人來說很可能是真的，但有的研究發(fā)現(xiàn)兩者正相關(guān)，有的則發(fā)現(xiàn)兩者不相關(guān)。事實上，比起發(fā)現(xiàn)良好睡眠與冷水浴有關(guān)的研究，發(fā)現(xiàn)良好睡眠與熱水浴有關(guān)的研究更多。

Many of the studies on cold-water immersion have used small sample sizes， and their results arent hugely conclusive one way or another. Because the practice is often combined with a few different elements—exercise and socialising， for example—it is difficult to pinpoint the role that the cold water plays.

許多有關(guān)冷水浴的研究采用的樣本量較小，而且研究結(jié)果在某種程度上都存在相當(dāng)大的不確定性。因為冷水浴往往多少摻雜著其他因素——比如鍛煉和社交——因此很難確定冷水所起的作用。

Duncan Leighton， a physiotherapist who works for at-home spin and fitness brand Apex Rides， thinks the findings should be treated with a pinch of salt3 and that， though it has been around for hundreds of years， perhaps ice bath therapy is just in vogue at the moment.

鄧肯·萊頓是一名理療師，就職于專攻家用動感單車與健身的公司“頂點騎行”。他認(rèn)為，應(yīng)對相關(guān)研究的結(jié)果持懷疑態(tài)度，盡管冰浴療法已經(jīng)存在數(shù)百年，但也許只是目前風(fēng)行一時。

One issue， Leighton says， is that there isnt even conclusive scientific evidence on why we get muscle soreness. If we dont exactly know why the problem occurs in the first place， its tough to assess treatments “because we kind of dont know what were treating”. Indeed， a 2019 study found that ice baths seem to impair muscle conditioning after leg exercises.

萊頓稱，問題之一在于甚至還沒有確鑿的科學(xué)證據(jù)表明我們?yōu)楹螘∪馑嵬础Ｈ绻覀冞B肌肉酸痛的原因都不能完全理解的話，那就很難評估治療方法，“因為我們連治療什么都沒搞清楚”。事實上，2019年的一項研究表明，冰浴似乎會有損于腿部運動后的肌肉調(diào)節(jié)。

But it isnt just physical problems that cold-water therapy purports to help. It is also marketed as a method with significant mental health benefits.

然而，據(jù)說冷水療法能解決的不僅僅是身體方面的問題。它還被營銷成一種對心理健康有顯著益處的療法。

Laura Fullerton is the founder of Monk， which in 2022 launched as “the worlds first at-home ice bath”. Fullerton says that， given how horribly stressful the last few years have been， its not a shock that the practice has entered the headlines.

勞拉·富勒頓是蒙克公司的創(chuàng)始人，這家公司成立于2022年，號稱“全球第一個家庭冰浴”服務(wù)公司。富勒頓認(rèn)為，鑒于人們在過去幾年里承受著巨大壓力，冷水療法成為頭條新聞并不令人感到震驚。

“I know many people whove used CWT [cold water therapy] as a core tool to help them overcome PTSD， anxiety， depression， and head injuries，” she says.

她說：“我認(rèn)識許多接受過冷水療法的人，他們都將其用作核心療法來幫助自己戰(zhàn)勝創(chuàng)傷后應(yīng)激障礙、焦慮、抑郁和頭部損傷?！?/p>

Perhaps “overcome” might be overselling the efficacy， but there are various studies that demonstrate a link between the practice and a reduction in stress. Though the jury is out on4 whether it is cold-water immersion alone that help.

也許用“戰(zhàn)勝”一詞會有夸大療效之嫌，但各種研究表明，冷水療法與減輕壓力之間存在關(guān)聯(lián)。不過，是否只有泡冷水一個因素在起作用，尚無定論。

Jeremy Howick， a researcher who studies evidence-based medicine5 says that it is impossible to hide from a participant the fact that cold-water treatment is taking place—making the placebo effect a real possibility. Thats the point， says Leighton： whats most important is your attitude to the method.

從事循證醫(yī)學(xué)研究的研究員杰里米·豪伊克稱，不可能向參與者隱瞞正在采用冷水療法的事實，因此真的有可能產(chǎn)生安慰劑效應(yīng)。萊頓認(rèn)為，這就是問題的關(guān)鍵所在，最重要的是你對待這種療法的態(tài)度。

“If someone believes that somethings helping them and they buy into the whole process of it， then I think it can be really beneficial for people，” he says. He himself likes the practice， recommending it as a “physical full-stop”， which can be helpful mentally in the separation between exercise and relaxation.

他說：“如果某人確信某件事對自己有幫助，而且對整個過程深信不疑，那么我認(rèn)為這確實會對他們有益?！彼救撕芟矚g冷水療法，推崇用它“讓身體停頓下來”，這會在運動和放松之間的空當(dāng)帶來精神上的愉悅。

Of course， the risks of cold-water therapy need to be considered alongside the benefits. For pregnant women， or anyone with heart or circulation problems， it will be a dangerous endeavour.

當(dāng)然，考慮冷水療法益處的同時，其產(chǎn)生的風(fēng)險也應(yīng)一并考慮。對于孕婦或所有存在心臟疾病或血液循環(huán)問題的人來說，嘗試?yán)渌煼ㄏ喈?dāng)危險。

In open water there can be a real risk of exhaustion and drowning—something that companies like Monk will seek to take out of the equation6 by bringing the experience into the home. Even there， however， there are risks because of the shock the cold water can inflict.

在開闊水域，確實存在因疲勞而溺水的風(fēng)險——蒙克等公司將冷水療法引入家庭，以此來消除這種風(fēng)險。然而，即便如此也存在風(fēng)險，畢竟冷水會對人體造成沖擊。

There are a good many merits to cold-water therapy， and the people who practise it clearly get a lot from it. In order for it to be recommended robustly， however， the studies into its efficacy need to involve more participants.

冷水療法的優(yōu)點很多，采用冷水療法的人顯然也從中受益匪淺。然而，要想大力推廣冷水療法，對其功效的研究還需要有更多人參與其中。

Before we all plunge into the freezing depths， we should know exactly what were letting ourselves in for7. Its very cold in there.

在我們扎入冰水深處之前，我們應(yīng)該清楚地知道自己會陷入怎樣的境地，畢竟水里很冷。

（譯者單位：江西宜春學(xué)院體育學(xué)院）

1 on steroids〈習(xí)語〉夸大的。? 2芬蘭北部、瑞典北部和挪威北部地區(qū)統(tǒng)稱為北歐拉普蘭。這個地區(qū)有四分之三處在北極圈內(nèi)，獨特的極地風(fēng)光和土著民族風(fēng)情使其成為旅游勝地。

3 treat sth with a pinch of salt〈習(xí)語〉對某事持有懷疑態(tài)度。

4 the jury is out on sth〈習(xí)語〉某事仍未定奪，懸而未決。? 5循證醫(yī)學(xué)指遵循科學(xué)論據(jù)的醫(yī)學(xué)，是20世紀(jì)末提出的新醫(yī)學(xué)理念和實踐模式。循證醫(yī)學(xué)的經(jīng)典定義為：慎重、準(zhǔn)確和明智地應(yīng)用當(dāng)前所能獲得的最好研究依據(jù)，結(jié)合醫(yī)生個人的專業(yè)技能和臨床經(jīng)驗，同時考慮患者的價值和愿望，將三者完美結(jié)合，制定出患者的治療措施。? 6 take out of the equation〈習(xí)語〉從問題或者問題解決方案中剔除不相關(guān)的因素。

7 let sb/yourself in for sth使陷入；使卷入；牽涉。