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Members of the Maryland State Police take a dip in the icy Chesapeake Bay on Jan. 30, 2010 to raise money for the Special Olympics.
While the rest of us are bleary-eyed and horizontal on New Year’s Day, 56-year-old Tom “Iceman” McGann of Brooklyn, N.Y., plans to charge into the frigid Atlantic Ocean wearing nothing but a bathing suit.
McGann and hundreds of other (totally insane) people will gather at the boardwalk on Stillwell Avenue in Brooklyn, N.Y., for the annual Coney Island Polar Bear Plunge. It’s one of many similar dips taking place on New Year’s Day and throughout the winter. Most raise money for charity, and most usually draw plenty of “are they crazy?” media coverage.
Immersing your scantily-clad body in ice-cold water may give you serious bragging rights. But does it pose any risks -- or offer any benefits -- for your health? The Finns (and Norwegians, and Russians) sure think so. All over Northern Europe, folks like to finish off a stint in the sauna with a plunge in any icy lake, touting the benefits the cold water has on the immune system, the complexion --even the libido.
Dr. Alan Steinman, one of the country’s foremost experts on hypothermia and cold-water survival, is dubious about those claims. “I don’t know of any definitive medical studies that have been done to measure the health benefits of cold-water swimming,” he says.
What’s more, plunging into cold water has some real risks, says Steinman, who served as the Coast Guard’s director of health and safety from 1993 to 1997. When the body is suddenly immersed in icy water, there’s a sudden gasp, an inhalation, rapid breathing and the inability to hold your breath, “which can be a problem if your head’s underwater,” he says. For that reason, it’s better to “plunge” gradually, from shallow water, and not off a dock or a boardwalk.
Physiologically, he explains, your body responds to a cold plunge in three ways: First, the small blood vessels constrict on the surface of your body as a defense mechanism, so you don’t lose heat. That means that a whole lot more blood is being squeezed into the same amount of blood vessels, which “serves to increase the effect on blood pressure,” he says.
Next, blood rushes from extremities to the core, chilling the limbs and leading to weakness and impaired motor coordination. That's why people rescued from accidental plunges into icy water have trouble grabbing life rings or ropes from rescuers.
Finally, true hypothermia sets in, typically after more than 30 minutes of immersion. That's when core body temperature plunges below normal. If it falls far enough, hearbeat may be disrupted and breathing may fail, causing death.
The early stage of the process, cold shock response, happens to everyone -- even “Iceman” McGann, who admits, “you never get used to it.” But the danger comes if you have heart disease, and are prone to irregular heartbeat or cardiac arrest. “The potential medical problems are relatively infrequent, but it’s possible,” says Steinman.
In the 14 years since its inception, the Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plungefest hasn’t had a single medical incident -- which is pretty astounding when you consider that the event drew 12,000 participants last year.
“We have a very solid safety plan in place,” says event spokesperson Kelley Schniedwind, who adds that they’ve partnered with the world-class Johns Hopkins emergency medical team for support at the event. Participants are also not allowed to stay in the water longer than five minutes, which is enforced by the 75-some-odd divers that patrol the waters at Sandy Point State Park, in Annapolis.
The event raises money for the Special Olympics, so there’s definitely a feel-good aspect about feeling the 35-degree chill of the Chesapeake. The Coney Island Polar Bear Plunge, which McGann will tackle for the 20th time on Saturday, asks participants to donate to Camp Sunshine, a retreat for children with life-threatening illnesses.
But “Iceman” McGann doesn’t just dip for charity -- he dips throughout the winter, as his nickname might suggest. “It’s exhilarating, it’s refreshing, it’s a rebirth. I just like doing it. I like being outside,” he explains. “It’s fun to do alone, but it’s more fun to do with other people. You can yell and scream, and where else can you yell and scream in today’s world?”
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Hahaha, here in Minn we do this when the air temperature is below zero and the water temp is at freezing (32 degrees).
I don't know how anyone else's body reacts, but my balls turn into marbles!
Very small tight marbles!
Very small tight AND blue!
Very small, tight, blue and hiding somewhere!
They are doing for fun and to raise money...... so WHY are people being crititcal? They aren't hurting anyone...they aren't forcing others to join them. Looks like good clean fun to me!
@JDSALM, I think that is called Ice Skating.
Nope, they actually break open the ice and people jump in. Generally, it is done to raise money for charity.
@doodle -- That's why you cut a hole in the ice ;)
Years ago, I made a boast about entering a northern (way northern) river as soon as the dock was clear of ice. As most people know, ice clears any specific location much sooner in moving water. So--with ice chunks floating downstream behind me, I waded in on March 9.
I was prepared with a line secured around my middle and plenty of people on the bank. I even wore a pair of beater tennie-runners to protect my feet.
But there is no way to prepare for the body's reaction. It was as if 2 things happened simultaneously: all the air was forced out of my body and everything in my core contracted to a lump at the base of my sternum.
Have fun, guys.
If I ever have to outrun a cop, I hope it is the fat one in the middle of the picture. How did he become a cop?
@kelly, I think you'd be surprised at how fast that guy in the middle could run.
I have always wanted to do one of these.
And kelly-1545253, not to quote my mom but "if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all". Extremely rude comment.
To the cop in the middle - thank you for your service.
:)
-J
That fat cop was probably grandfathered in. They don't look that way anymore.
The author writes that "your body responds to cold shock in three ways: First, the small blood vessels constrict on the surface of your body as a defense mechanism, so you don’t lose heat." and then fails to mention the other ways that your body responds.
What are the other two ways in which the body responds?
Thanks
Thank you for the catch, eagle-eyed reader. We did indeed neglect to complete that thought. Sorry about that. The post above is now updated with the additional ways a body responds to cold shock -- blood rushing from the extremeties and a drop in core body temperature.
Thanks from the msnbc.com health team!
Julia, thanks so much for the response. I'm in NC and dump myself in a freezing cow trough after my sauna in an old milk cooling house in the country. Now i know not to stay 30 minutes in the cow trough. An ex manhattan LES inhabitant.
The author listed his three prognosis using two adjectives; first, next and an adverb finally. He demonstrated a progression of thinking and finding usually associated with scientific research and reporting. Need I say more?
he posted that before the article was updated. so when he read it, the other two reasons weren't there.
In Wolf Creek, Montana we do it every year to support local business - mostly Joe's Bar sponsors the event. Normally the Missouri river here is somewhere between 30 and 35 degrees and the air temp is usually below 5.
Best to "Ice-Man" and all others. In January 2012 will they be doing a tie-in and dedicating their splashing about in the frigid waters to their predecessors of 100 years ago - the Titanic victims?
Not something I would ever do - high fives for those who do to raise $ for a good cause.
I did one of these years ago on super bowl sunday in Long Beach, NY. Frigid yes, but you get so pumped up from the other 1000 lunatics doing it with you that you don't (or at least I didnt) have a huge reaction when you go into the water. What I didnt expect was coming out where you feel every single degree (or lack thereof). It took me like fifteen minutes to put socks on because I couldnt feel my toes then when you finally do manage to put some clothes on you feel like youre burning up...absolutely nuts- but a ton of fun (and we raised money for a great cause)
I was in Long Beach last year and it was a really beautiful day - very cold/very sunny!!! Every Polar Bear lunatic I spoke to said the same thing you just said ... my niece and I are going to give it a try this year!!!!!
No way I could do that. My hands and feet hurt in just cool water...I would be in serious pain. I admire those who can, though:)
Shrinkage ! Incredible Shrinkage ! You may not find it for days !
That's why we "seasoned pros" tie a string to it BEFORE jumping in!
Severe shrinkage - It's called turtling in these parts. Thank God for string.
Camp Sunshine is a wonderful cause to donate to! We had the great blessing of spending a week there when our daughter had just come off Chemotherapy for bone cancer. This place gives families of children with life threatening diseases a chance to breath, forget the bills, doctors, and everything else that goes along with a terrible disease. The family can have fun and meet others who share their ups and downs....even help each other deal with their special circumstances. Thank you Polar Bear Swimmers for choosing this wonderful cause.
Did the polar plunge 2 years ago. Had a stroke as a result and nearly died. No BS, Galesburg, IL., Lake Storey. Both local hospitals misdiagnosed (hypothermia then inner ear infection) Somehow survived essentially untreated. To top it off, discovered I had a benign brain tumor as a result of testing. Yeah, not a big fan of polar plunges anymore.
Sorry to hear your health was failing. Since your body was giving out, you would have, sooner or later, experienced the stroke while doing other activities - walking up stairs, shopping, running, etc. Your body didnt have a stoke DUE TO the plunge; you had a health problem PRIOR to it and the increased activity helped facilitate the stroke (it would have happened with ANY increased activity). Good to hear you have recovered.
People have been doing this for decades and I dont see a mass of people dying year after year. Why post a story that has no bases and hasnt been studied by medical teams? And ask yourself: Why hasnt it been studied by medical teams? BECAUSE no one has been horribly affected by the activity! It would be illegal if people were dying year after year; since its not illegal, its obviously fine. Story is invalid.
When I was a teenager in Michigan, my cousins and I would enter a hot sauna (so hot we had to breathe by inhaling through water in our mouths, to avoid scalding our lungs), then plunge into a lake that had a few inches of ice slush floating on top.
The amazing thing was that the cold plunge actually felt rather nice -- like stepping into an air-conditioned room on a hot summer day. After a few minutes, it would begin to feel cold, so we'd head back to the sauna, and repeat the whole process four or five times.
As an adult, I can't say I'd recommend it for anyone, but the sauna part was definitely the more dangerous half of the process.
It is so much fun in Maryland every year watching people plunge into the icy water (notice I said "watch". That is as far as it will go for me!) and while people like me say they are crazy as hell, in the end, knowing this is all for Special Olympics makes the craziness justified!! LOL!! :)
"You can yell and scream, and where else can you yell and scream in today’s world?”
That's a pretty silly statement. Pick a sporting event.
Or a session of Congress. Or Fox News.
I did the plunge in Barrow Alaska when I was 50+. Such a rush. Was high on endorphins and adrenaline for two days. Bragging rights to this day.
Did it for years off Staten Island. Never had a problem. I learned from the legend of Coney Island, Mr Iceberg Victor Boff. He was the world's greatest winter bather.Look him up.
Some years ago I was involved in an oil terminal project in Estonia. As it was explained to me by the residents, the reason a person jumps into the cold water or rolls in the snow is to cause the pores to contract after leaving the sauna bath.
Never did a Polar Bear plunge but I did sauna in Finland and then got right under a freezing cold shower. Funny thing...first the room started to spin, then I got so sleepy I could barely make it to bed. Got the best sleep I can ever remember.
How 'bout I skip the plunge and just mail a check to the charity?