45 The Truth About Cold Water Therapy: Science, Myths & What Actually Works | Dr Tom Buckley

Cold water therapy isn’t new - tribes and cultures around the world have used it for centuries to build resilience, aid recovery, and push human limits. But recently, ice baths, cold showers, ocean swims, and cryotherapy have exploded in popularity… yet how much of it is backed by real science?

In this episode, performance expert Andrew May and medical researcher Dr. Tom Buckley dive headfirst into the facts (and fiction) around Cold Water Therapy (CWT). Together, they unpack decades of personal experimentation, scientific research, and real-world experience to help you separate hype from reality.

In this episode Andrew and Dr Tom discuss:

4:45 Different types of cold exposure and how it effects your body

10:30 Andrew’s English Channel swim and how Dr Tom started with cold therapy

16:45 Dr Tom’s cold water practice

20:45 Adapting to the cold

26:15 The science behind cold therapy and the use and abuse of research

33:15 The difference between rodent and human studies and understanding brown and white fat

41:00 Cold therapy and testosterone

47:50 Cold therapy and recovery

56:35 Icing sports injuries and Dr Tom’s personal experience with ice and heat on injuries

1:06:40 Athletes dealing with pain and the psychological effects of cold therapy

1:22:30 Andrew’s graded 3-step cold water protocol