Sport Swimming out of the darkness: How cold-water swimming helps with mental health, Dr. Rob Whitley

…An Associate Professor of Psychiatry at McGill University, Rob Whitley said cold-water swimming has both biological and psychosocial benefits.

He said cold water not only stimulated the vagus nerve, one of 12 cranial nerves, but also increased circulation, which distributed nutrients and assisted the removal of toxins. Dr Whitley said open-water swimming, which combined cold-water and exercise in a natural environment could be particularly beneficial as it could release endorphins and produce serotonin which increased happiness.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation