Men and Women in Ice Baths: Understanding the Differences for Better Practice

When discovering the benefits of cold water immersion, it’s easy to assume that everyone’s body reacts in the same way. However, men and women engage different physiological mechanisms when faced with cold stress. Understanding these distinctions is key to adjusting your practice safely, effectively, and in tune with your body’s natural responses.

Let’s explore how our bodies react differently — and why it matters.

Preserving Core Heat: A Shared Efficiency

Contrary to common belief, both men and women protect their internal body temperature with equal efficiency.The strategies, however, are distinct:

• Women rely on stronger peripheral vasoconstriction, reducing blood flow to the extremities in order to preserve heat around vital organs.

• Men, on the other hand, produce heat faster through muscle shivering.

Despite different sensations during exposure, both maintain internal warmth effectively.

Two Strategies for Heat Production

In response to cold:

• Men use their greater muscle mass to generate heat quickly through shivering, which is effective but energy-consuming.

• Women utilize brown adipose tissue (brown fat) to produce non-shivering thermogenesis, generating heat directly within the torso.

This divergence influences how quickly warmth is generated and how fatigue is experienced during immersion.

A Faster Peripheral Cooling for Women

Even though women typically have better natural insulation, they tend to feel cold faster at the skin level, especially in hands and feet.This phenomenon is explained by:

• A higher surface-area-to-mass ratio, meaning a larger proportion of skin is exposed relative to body size, resulting in greater peripheral heat loss.

As a result, women may feel greater discomfort in the extremities, even though their ability to protect their core temperature remains intact.

Is Cold Water Immersion Riskier for Women?

A persistent myth suggests that cold exposure could be riskier for women.This misunderstanding stems from a 2014 study (Solianik et al.) where participants were immersed for nearly 3 hours in 10°C water — a situation far more extreme than today's typical controlled cold plunges.

Short, safe cold immersions are therefore just as beneficial and safe for women as they are for men, provided that the practice is gradual and mindful.

Adapting Your Cold Exposure for Maximum Benefits

To get the most out of cold immersion:

• Start gradually, especially if you experience strong peripheral cold sensations.

• Listen to your body’s signals to avoid excessive thermal stress.

• Respect hormonal variations: women may need to adjust timing and intensity based on menstrual cycle phases.

• Don't stay longer than necessary: once you overcome the initial cold shock, longer exposure offers no added benefit.

The key to effective cold exposure is listening to your body — not chasing performance.

To sum'up, men and women mobilize different pathways to adapt to cold exposure, but both can fully benefit from controlled cold immersion. Understanding these mechanisms helps to practice smarter, recover better, and build greater resilience.

This article is based on scientific insights and research shared by Dr. Susanna Søberg. For more information, you can visit her official website: Søberg Institute.