What are the health benefits of cold water showers?
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What are the health benefits of cold water showers?
Cold showers are just dreadful, or maybe that's just me. More than once I stepped into a cold shower when the water heater was off and stepped right back out.
Still, I've learned that cold showers have some real benefits, so I've been trying to adapt. That first blast is a shock, but after a few seconds your body adjusts and the cold starts to feel refreshing.
There's nothing wrong with preferring a hot shower. Our bodies are wired to avoid cold. In this post, we'll cover the benefits of cold water, how it compares with a hot shower after a workout, and which one makes sense when.
Cold shower and your health
After workout
After a hard workout, a cool shower can feel great. But what does it actually do?
Many people take a cold shower after a workout for the cooling, soothing effect. Cold water may ease how sore you feel afterward, but timing matters if you are trying to build muscle.
In a 12-week study, men who sat in cold water after strength training gained less muscle and strength than men who did an active cooldown instead. If muscle growth is your goal, a light cooldown, such as easy cycling, may be the better habit after lifting.
Swimmers sometimes get cramps in their calves, thighs or hamstrings. Cramps are more often linked to muscle fatigue than to cold water itself, so build up your training gradually.
Warm or hot showers are easier for most people to enjoy. Warm, steamy air can also help loosen mucus when you have a stuffy nose or a cold.
Taking cold showers in cold weather can feel daunting. On those days, whether you are coming from a workout or just tired, a warm shower is the easier choice.
On the flip side, long hot showers can dry out your skin. Your skin's natural oils (sebum) keep it moist, and hot water strips them away. A warm shower can also feel relaxing and help you wind down.
What are the health benefits of cold-water showers?
Exercise has huge benefits for the body. Cold showers have some benefits too, though the evidence is more limited than many claims suggest. Here is what we know.
Dealing with anxiety, stress, and depression
Cold water is a brief, controlled stress on the body. Some people find that regularly facing that discomfort helps them feel more resilient.
Cold exposure activates the sympathetic nervous system and raises noradrenaline levels, which may explain why many people feel more alert afterward. Small studies have explored cold water for mood, but cold showers are not a treatment for depression or anxiety. If you are struggling, talk to a health care provider.
Enhances one’s alertness and focus
Cold water wakes you up. The shock makes you breathe faster and raises your heart rate, which makes you feel more alert.
In a large Dutch trial, the most commonly reported benefit of finishing showers with cold water was a boost in energy, which some participants compared to caffeine.
Significant for weight loss
Obesity and related conditions like type 2 diabetes are common, so anything rumored to help with weight loss gets attention.
On their own, cold showers will not help you lose a meaningful amount of weight. Diet and regular exercise are what work.
Cold exposure can activate brown fat, a type of fat that burns calories to produce heat. Adults have small amounts of it. The extra calories burned during a short cold shower are small.
Brown fat is different from visceral fat, the harmful fat stored around the organs. Cold exposure briefly raises your metabolism, but not enough to replace diet and exercise.
Immune system booster
Claims that cold showers "boost" the immune system are not well proven. When metabolism is increased by cold exposure, some small studies have measured changes in immune cells, but it is not clear that this protects you from illness.
The best evidence comes from a randomized trial of over 3,000 adults in the Netherlands. People who ended their daily hot shower with 30 to 90 seconds of cold water had 29% fewer self-reported sick days from work, but they did not have fewer days of illness.
Treatment of acne
Cold showers will not cure acne, which is caused by clogged pores, oil, bacteria and inflammation, not by shower temperature.
Hot water can dry and irritate the skin, and it can make redness from conditions like rosacea worse. Lukewarm or cool water is gentler on sensitive skin.
The bottom line
What's so great about cold showers? The benefits are real but modest:
- calming itchy skin
- waking you up and boosting energy
- possibly fewer sick days
- easing soreness after a workout
- gentler on dry or irritated skin than hot water
If you have heart disease or high blood pressure, check with your doctor first. The sudden cold can make your heart rate and blood pressure spike.
Hot showers don't get the same buzz, but they have benefits on the body too:
- providing relief from a stuffy nose
- helping you relax and wind down
- helping with muscle relaxation
