Fact Check: Cold Showers and Health Benefits

For most people, cold showers seem to just not be worth the discomfort. Is there reason to believe any of the numerous articles glorifying the positive effects cold showers have on the body, and willingly expose oneself to anything other than soothing hot water? This article offers an overview of the scientifically tested health benefits of cold showers.
Claim one: regular cold showers prevent sickness.
A Dutch study found that cold showers really can decrease the number of sick days taken off work and give you a more energetic start to the day. For one month, 3000 people were asked to have a cold shower daily. Researchers observed whether this affected the number of days on which the participants showed signs of illness, the number of days which they took off work because of sickness and if the duration of the cold shower influenced both. The number of reported days with symptoms of illness, were not significantly different between the groups. However, the results showed that no matter how long the cold shower was, participants that took cold showers claimed 29% fewer sick days. This implicates, that not the duration of sickness might be reduced by regular cold showers, but rather the severity of symptoms. The combination of cold showers with sports reduced the number of claimed sick days even by 54%. Furthermore, participants reported a higher energy level and an overall higher quality of life. It remains unclear how exactly cold showers could help to reduce illness.
Claim two: cold showers have an energizing effect.
A Czech study proposes that the bodily reactions triggered by cold showers could explain the energizing effect. During a cold shower, signals are transmitted from the cold receptors of the skin to the nervous system, which leads to an increased release of noradrenaline, a stress hormone. Heart rate and blood pressure also increase. These are automatic physiological responses from the body known as “fight-or-flight-response”. The body is energized by cold showers because it is reacting to a stressful situation and is tricked into being alert and awake. Repeated exposure to cold water (three times per week) showed that “cold-acclimated” participants had a lowered cold sensation. However, to confirm these findings, more and larger studies need to be done.
Claim three: cold showers support muscle regeneration and can act as a “natural” antidepressant.
Cold water is also said to reduce delayed onset of muscle soreness or aching after sport. In a complex analysis, results of various studies on the impact of multiple techniques for muscle regeneration and recovery after exercise were analyzed. It was found that cold-water immersion at 15 °C after exercise can counteract inflammation and sore muscles. Even if it might not be as effective as a massage or stretching, a cold shower is still a simple and quick way to support the body's regeneration after training. That cold showers can relieve depression still remains a myth, but researchers propose that an antidepressive effect may come from the overwhelming number of electrical impulses that get sent by the many cold receptors in the skin. However, there needs to be much more testing to confirm this hypothesis.

There is a fair amount of evidence that having a cold shower can be good for one´s health – even if the reasons why are still partly unclear. A cold shower alone will not create a healthy lifestyle and keep you from ever becoming sick again but could be very effective in waking up and energizing the body. As with many "must-try" lifestyle choices this cold shower routine is not the ultimate tool to living a healthy life. However, implementing it into a balanced way of living might enrich some individuals with the positive aspects that were analyzed. So, if you´re curious, try it yourself!

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Issue 9
Maria Köckert, Elias Strecker, Paula Baierlein