If you’ve spent even a few minutes on the fitness and wellness side of social media lately, you’ve likely seen your favorite athlete, trainer, or guru sitting in an ice bath, a sauna, or both. You’ve probably also heard these same athletes, trainers, and gurus swear by the benefits of both heat and cold exposure, with claims ranging from reasonable, like increased recovery, to unnatural, like a drastic increase in muscle mass and a decrease in the likelihood of certain cancers. Before you drop the cash for an in-home cold plunge and sauna, consider what you think you need it for, and what it is likely to actually do for you.

Cold plunging, also known as cold therapy or cold exposure, is the practice of deliberately exposing your body to cold temperatures, generally in water. While opinions vary, the generally accepted temperature range for cold plunges is between 60 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit. This can be in a lake outside or a regular bathtub, and most studies agree that you can achieve much of the same benefit in a cold shower.

Bouts of cold exposure are short and deliberate, rather than a soak, like you would in a hot tub. Cold exposure is confirmed to be a recovery aide, especially in the short term. A quick ice bath after an intense training session can reduce or eliminate delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), letting you return to the gym with greater intensity sooner. Cold plunges are also known to reduce inflammation. It should be noted, however, that if your goal involves strength or muscle gains, cold plunges immediately post workout are counterproductive. The inflammation, or “pump” , that comes from resistance training is the very thing that must be present to achieve an optimal level of muscle protein synthesis.

Other reported benefits of cold plunging that are not yet scientifically proven include increased focus and energy throughout the day as well as increased “grit” from simply doing something hard. Some studies indicate a possible cocaine level dopaminergic increase that is sustained all day. These reports, however, are spotty. The best thing you can do if you are seeking these benefits is to try it first, and see what it does for you personally, before deciding to implement it long term.

As a final word of advice, everything that can seem like a magic pill for your troubles should be taken with a grain of salt. Picture everything you do for your body as water in a bucket. Your diet and recovery will fill up around 75 percent of the bucket, your training will fill up around 24 percent of your bucket, and unless you choose to use anabolic steroids, these other interventions like cold exposure will combine to fill up the final drops of that bucket. In other words, if you are eating 2000 extra calories each day, sleeping only two hours a night, and never set foot in the gym, cold plunging will likely have no physical benefit for you. Before looking for quick fixes, I suggest getting your diet, sleep, and training in check, then look for those extra bits to help you even further.

(Tune in next week for part 2!)