Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBenefitsWeight LossHow It’s DoneSafety Considerations and PrecautionsTips and Best Practices
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Benefits
Weight Loss
How It’s Done
Safety Considerations and Precautions
Tips and Best Practices
Cold plunges,cold showers,ice baths, and winter swimming are all types of cold water therapy. There are several reported benefits, including improvedcirculation, fat-burning, and mood benefits. However, research on cold water therapy has not definitively proved this. This article will review the potential benefits of cold water therapy and how to perform cold water therapy at home.
Nastco / Getty Images
What Are the Benefits of Cold Water Therapy?
Exposure of the body to cold water causes several responses in the body that may ultimately explain its benefits. One explanation is that cold water therapy exposure activates adaptive responses in the body, a phenomenon known ashormesis.
But what happens when the body is exposed to cold and how can this benefit someone? When you get into an ice bath you may notice goosebumps and shivering. These are responses that help generate heat. Further, blood vessels on the surface of the skin constrict so that blood is directed toward the internal organs to limit heat loss.
The body also increases heat production through the activation of brown fat, a type ofadipose tissuethat can create heat. With cold water immersion specifically, the body also experiences reflexes that affect the nervous system, respiration, heart rate, and blood pressure.
There are several reported health and wellness benefits of cold water therapy. These include the following, and the research behind them is discussed in the sections below.
A Word From VerywellIt’s recommended to gradually introduce yourself to colder environments to allow your body time to adjust. Some studies suggest that temperatures ranging from 50 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit are considered safe for cold water immersion therapy. It’s important to speak with your healthcare provider before starting cold therapy.—AMY KWAN, PT, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
A Word From Verywell
It’s recommended to gradually introduce yourself to colder environments to allow your body time to adjust. Some studies suggest that temperatures ranging from 50 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit are considered safe for cold water immersion therapy. It’s important to speak with your healthcare provider before starting cold therapy.—AMY KWAN, PT, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
It’s recommended to gradually introduce yourself to colder environments to allow your body time to adjust. Some studies suggest that temperatures ranging from 50 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit are considered safe for cold water immersion therapy. It’s important to speak with your healthcare provider before starting cold therapy.
—AMY KWAN, PT, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
Less Muscle Soreness
Many athletes perform cold water immersion to improve recovery after exercise. The vasoconstriction, decreased nerve conduction, and reduced inflammation that occurs with cold water therapy may be responsible for these effects.
A 2022 systematic review suggests that athletes who performed cold water immersion after high-intensity exercise experienced less muscle soreness and improved recovery and power.However, these benefits were not all seen after eccentric (strength-building) exercise.
Faster Cooldown if You’re Overheated
Exercise can cause the body to overheat. This is a serious condition known asheatstroke. This is a risk particularly when exercising outdoors in hot or humid climates. Cold water therapy can lower the elevated body temperature faster.
A 2016 review found that participants with hyperthermia (elevated body temperature) who performed cold water immersion recovered body temperature twice as fast compared to those who did not; they recommend immersing the limbs and torso in water at a temperature of 50 degrees or lower.
May Ease Depression Symptoms
Some studies suggest that cold water therapy has beneficial effects on mood and might lower stress and help manage depression symptoms. One study in a group of young adults showed that performing chest-deep cold water immersion just once resulted in improved mood scores and energy 20 minutes later compared to those who did not.
Another study looked at mood as well as brain waves following cold water immersion and also found improved mood with changes in brain connectivity of specific brain networks involved in emotion, self-regulation, and attention.
May Boost the Immune System
Research suggests that cold water therapy may boost the immune system. Regular exposure to cold water therapy can increase certain immune cells and proteins that help the body fight off infections.One study showed that people who took hot-to-cold showers (starting with hot water and ending with cold water) for a month reported feeling sick for fewer days when questioned three months later.
Can Cold Water Therapy Help With Weight Loss?
The idea that cold water therapy can help with weight loss stems from the activation of brown fat that occurs with exposure to cold. Most of the fat in our bodies is white fat whose purpose is to store energy. Brown fat is a type of adipose, or fatty tissue in the body. This tissue breaks down fatty acids and triglycerides to release heat.Cold water immersion activates brown fat, but there is a lack of research on its effects on weight loss.
How Is Cold Water Therapy Performed?
There are several types of cold water therapy, and you can tailor cold water therapy to your own preferences. You can perform cold water therapy at home or at the gym, spa, or wellness studio.
There are several safety considerations to take into account when considering cold water therapy. With immersion in cold water, our bodies have physiologic responses and reflexes that are out of our control. These can cause arrhythmias and a loss of consciousness, resulting in drowning.
The risks of cold water immersion include the following:
If you’re interested in starting cold water therapy, there are some things to consider about acclimation, timing, and safety.
When starting cold water immersion therapy, let yourself acclimate. Start with warmer temperatures for a few minutes. Over time, you can aim for longer sittings (11 to 15 minutes) at lower temperatures but not lower than 50 to 59 degrees).
If performing cold water therapy for athletic recovery and muscle soreness prevention, the best timing is right after a vigorous exercise session.
There isn’t a consensus on how frequently cold water therapy sessions should be done to get the most beneficial results. Some studies suggest more benefits result only when they’re performed after very intense exercise (such as athletic training or tournaments).
Talk to Your Provider First
Talking with a healthcare provider before attempting cold water therapy on your own is best given the potential risks involved. This is particularly true for older adults, people with certain health conditions like heart disease, or people who take medication.
Discuss any underlying conditions for which you may be at an increased risk.
Have an Observer With You
Having an observer present during cold water therapy is very important. This is due to the risk of drowning and the potential need for assistance. Firstly, immersion in cold water causes physiologic reflexes out of our control that may impair our breathing or lead to loss of consciousness. Cold water can also affect mentation and muscle control, making it hard to get out.
Limit Immersion
Swimming in colder water for too long can cause your core body temperature to become dangerously low, a condition known as hypothermia. This can happen when swimming for longer periods, even in water that is not ice cold. If you’re starting out, limit your time to a couple of minutes (supervised) and work your way up. Don’t stay in an ice bath for more than 15 minutes.
How to Warm Up When You Get Out
Cold water therapy can lower your body’s core temperature and result in hypothermia. The benefits of cold water therapy are related to the amount of time spent in cold water (around 10 to 15 minutes).Beyond that, there doesn’t appear to be much benefit, but the risks go up the longer you spend cold, so it’s important to warm yourself up afterward. Have a towel ready so you can dry off and get dressed as soon as possible afterward. Consider drinking a warm beverage to help warm up.
Summary
15 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Allan R, Malone J, Alexander J,et al.Cold for centuries: a brief history of cryotherapies to improve health, injury and post-exercise recovery.Eur J Appl Physiol. 2022;122(5):1153-1162. doi:10.1007/s00421-022-04915-5
Esperland D, de Weerd L, Mercer JB.Health effects of voluntary exposure to cold water — a continuing subject of debate.Int J Circumpolar Health. 2022;81(1):2111789. doi:10.1080/22423982.2022.2111789
Higgins TR, Greene DA, Baker MK.Effects of cold water immersion and contrast water therapy for recovery from team sport: a systematic review and meta-analysis.J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(5):1443-1460. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000001559
Moore E, Fuller JT, Buckley JD, et al.Impact of cold-water immersion compared with passive recovery following a single bout of strenuous exercise on athletic performance in physically active participants: a systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression.Sports Med.2022;52:1667–1688. doi:10.1007/s40279-022-01644-9
Méline T, Watier T, Sanchez AMJ.Cold water immersion after exercise: recent data and perspectives on “kaumatherapy.“J Physiol. 2017 May 1;595(9):2783-2784. doi:10.1113/JP274169
Kelly JS, Bird E.Improved mood following a single immersion in cold water.Lifestyle Medicine.2021;3(1):e53. doi:10.1002/lim2.53
Yankouskaya A, Williamson R, Stacey C, et al.Short-term head-out whole-body cold-water immersion facilitates positive affect and increases interaction between large-scale brain networks.Biology (Basel). 2023;12(2):211. doi:10.3390/biology12020211
Buijze GA, Sierevelt IN, van der Heijden BCJM, et al.The effect of cold showering on health and work: A randomized controlled trial.PLoS One. 2016;11(9):e0161749. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0161749
Kotzbeck P, Giordano A, Mondini E, et al.Brown adipose tissue whitening leads to brown adipocyte death and adipose tissue inflammation.J Lipid Res. 2018;59(5):784-794. doi:10.1194/jlr.M079665
Machado AF, Ferreira PH, Micheletti JK, et al.Can water temperature and immersion time influence the effect of cold water immersion on muscle soreness? A systematic review and meta-analysis.Sports Med. 2016;46(4):503-14. doi:10.1007/s40279-015-0431-7
Knechtle B, Waśkiewicz Z, Sousa CV, et al.Cold water swimming—benefits and risks: a narrative review.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Dec 2;17(23):8984. doi:10.3390/ijerph17238984
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Prevent hypothermia and frostbite.
National Weather Service.Cold water hazards and safety.
University of Utah.Cold plunging and the impact on your health.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
