Cold showers are reported to offer a number of physical and mental health benefits, including improved circulation, immunity, energy, mental clarity, and skin and hair health. However, for some people, cold showers are a bad idea and could cause health problems.
This article discusses the benefits and disadvantages of cold showers and when a hot shower might be best.
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How Cold Showers Can Improve Health
The benefits of cold showers are believed to result from a biological process known as hormesis. Hormesis is a phenomenon in which a low dose of a substance that typically stresses and damages the body at high doses instead creates a beneficial effect.
Exposure to extremely cold water kicks in the body's fight-or-flight response, raising levels of endorphins and noradrenaline, a neurotransmitter that plays a role in stress, attention, and cognitive function. Exercise and dietary calorie restrictions are other examples of hormesis.
Benefits of Taking Cold Showers
The proposed benefits of cold showers include improving circulation, building immunity, promoting weight loss, aiding in mental health, and more. Some people might benefit from daily cold showers, however, people with certain conditions should avoid them.
Some of the benefits cold showers might have include:
Improved Circulation
When the body comes in contact with cold water, it responds by increasing blood flow to the vital organs in the core to protect and keep them warm while decreasing blood flow to surface areas of the body. This increased circulation is proposed to be healthy for the body.
Stronger Immune System
The benefits of cold showers on the immune system are still being researched. One study found participants who ended a hot shower with 30, 60, or 90 seconds of the coldest water temperature available for at least 30 days had significant reductions in sickness that caused leave from work but no reduction in overall illness days. The researchers noted that this could suggest that the cold shower helped to reduce the severity of the illness.
There is also some evidence that daily cold-water exposure might improve the body’s ability to fight cancerous tumors. Repeated cold water stimulation was also found to reduce the frequency of infections and improve the quality of life in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Are cold showers good for you every day?
There isn't any research into how often you should take a cold shower, however, if you're healthy, a daily cold shower is probably safe.
Weight Loss
Most studies on weight loss have centered on cold water immersion, not cold showers. Cold water immersion, in which the body is covered in cold water when bathing or swimming, is known to increase metabolism. The body raises metabolism in an attempt to keep warm. Higher metabolisms burn more calories than lower metabolisms.
Cold temperatures are also known to activate the body’s brown fat (brown adipose tissue), which burns calories to try to keep the body warm. Whether burning brown fat can help reduce weight and control blood sugar is still being studied.
What Is the Ice Hack for Weight Loss?
Better Mental Health and Mood
Exposure to cold is known to activate the sympathetic nervous system and increase levels of endorphins and noradrenaline in the blood and brain. Regular cold showers may increase energy levels, with effects similar to caffeine.
Regular winter swimming and physical activity in the colder months significantly decreases tension, fatigue, memory, and negative mood. Studies have also shown that cold water immersion may be effective at relieving symptoms of depression.
Healthy Skin and Hair
Cold showers increase circulation and decrease inflammation, improving skin and hair health and appearance. Cold water also tightens skin pores. Although there is plenty of anecdotal evidence on the benefits of cold showers for skin and hair, more research is needed.
Do Cold Showers Help Workout Recovery?
Cold showers or baths have been found to reduce the perception of fatigue after training, reduce muscle pain, and improve muscle recovery. While cold water immersion has been shown to have beneficial post-workout effects, not many studies have been done on whether cold showers offer the same benefits.
Disadvantages of Taking Cold Showers
The biggest disadvantage of cold showers is the uncomfortable sensation of cold water on the skin. In one study, 91% of participants said they would continue daily cold showers despite the discomfort. However, of that percentage, only 64% actually took a cold shower.
Studies have also shown that cold exposure can impair cognitive function in adults, another disadvantage of cold showers.
Risks for Heart and Lung Conditions
Cold water constricts the blood vessels and increases blood pressure and heart rate. Cold water exposure can cause arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) in patients with heart problems and produce pulmonary edema (when air sacs in the lungs fill with fluid).
Cold showers are typically not recommended for those with heart or lung issues, and anyone with these conditions should consult a healthcare provider before trying cold showers.
Pregnancy
The effects of cold showers on women who are pregnant are not well understood. If you’re pregnant, it’s best to avoid cold showers until you consult a healthcare provider to determine if they’re safe for you.
Lower Testosterone
The science is mixed on the effects of cold water on testosterone. One study found that cold water immersion blunted the testosterone and cytokine response (cytokines tell immune cells how to function) in people who had just completed resistance exercise.Other studies, however, have found that cold water immersion has little or no effect on testosterone.
Pros and Cons of Taking Hot Showers
Hot showers also have pros and cons. Some of these include:
Pros:
- Relieving respiratory symptoms
- Reducing blemishes
- Relaxing muscles
Cons:
- Dryness and itching
- May exacerbate eczema and other skin conditions
- Increases blood pressure
What's Better: Hot vs. Cold Showers?
Whether a hot or cold shower is best depends on how you feel, what benefits you’re seeking, and even what time of day it is.
Cold showers can be stimulating and energizing, so they are often recommended earlier in the day. Warm or hot showers can improve sleep, making them appropriate for evening or nighttime.
Cold showers increase blood flow to the body’s core while decreasing blood flow to surface areas, thus reducing joint and skin inflammation. Hot or warm showers open blood vessels throughout the body and can decrease muscle soreness and fatigue.
Some propose you can get the benefits of both showers by alternating between hot and cold temperatures or following a hot or warm shower with a 30- to 90-second blast of cold water.
How Long to Take a Cold Shower
To obtain benefits from a cold shower, you should spend at least 30 seconds in water between 50 and 60 degrees F. There’s no need to take a long cold shower—in fact, benefits begin to decrease after three minutes.
To ease the shock from cold water, try the following:
- Keep it short: When first trying cold showers, aim to spend no more than 30 seconds under the cold water. You can increase the time as your body adapts.
- Ease in: Instead of jumping into a cold shower, start with the water warm, then gradually adjust the temperature downwards.
- Try contrast showers: There are also possible benefits of taking contrast showers, which alternate between a hot phase of two to three minutes and a cold phase of about 15 seconds. Do this for three or four cycles and end the shower with the cold phase.
Summary
Cold showers are purported to have many health benefits. While research shows cold showers can improve circulation, immunity, and mental health, research on their effect on weight loss and skin and hair health is still ongoing.
The main disadvantage of cold showers is that many people consider them uncomfortable. Cold showers can also be dangerous for those with certain heart or lung conditions. Hot and cold showers have different benefits, so one is not better than the other.
