Cold showers are about as fun as they sound. Some swear by them, some can’t live without them, and the rest of the population is not clinically insane. I was once like this. But just like black coffee, black olives, or black tar heroin, the taste of cold showers is acquired over time. I live to tell their misunderstood truth.
My first cold shower was 21 years ago, at my baptism. Wasn’t much of a fan then, not much of a fan now. That was, until 12 months ago after watching Tom Bilyeu’s Interview with Wim Hof. Inspired by the Ice Man himself – who is the holder of 21 Guinness World Records – I decided to give cold showers another chance. And as fate would have it, I have taken one every day since.
Similar to meditation, my experience with cold showers was difficult from the get-go. Difficult is my nice way of saying bloody horrendous. It was excruciatingly painful, but I learned to love it. In fact I actually began to crave them after a few weeks of practice.
Despite the masochistic side effects, there is true science behind cold showers. Yet I never really knew why they made me feel so good, I was merely following Wim’s inspiration. I wanted clear evidence. So, I decided to do some of my own research.
Below I listed the top 6 benefits I found on cold showers, backed by science. But before reading, I must warm you: this article will expose you to certain uncomfortable truths you may wish never entered your conscience.
Enter red pill.
Boosted Immunity
As Wim Hof would say, “If you don’t go to the cold, the cold comes to you”. Whether or not the sincerity of this poetic marketing technique holds true, cold-water immersion has been shown to enhance immunity in a variety of ways.
One study examined the effects of taking a hot-to-cold shower for 30 consecutive days. The results showed a 29% reduction in sickness absence from work, with secondary outcomes like improved quality of life, anxiety, and productivity (1).
Repeated exposure to cold showers was also shown to increase the body’s metabolic state through the activation of catecholamines in the immune system (2, 3).
What are catecholamines?
Catecholamines represent a class of hormones that are released when the body is under physiological stress. They are also known as the “fight or flight” response. The most prominent are dopamine, adrenaline, and noradrenaline (4, 5).
Studies show that catecholamines also regulate the inflammatory responses of the immune system, which lead to increased protection against illness or disease (6, 7).
Respiratory System
Cold showers can reduce the frequency and potency of respiratory infections. This is caused by an increase of the breath’s peak expiratory flow, which is the technical way of describing breathing speed (8).
Cold showers also reduce inflammation in the lungs. This can help increase the lymphocyte count and gamma interferon, both of which are irrefutable for immunity and protect the body against bacteria and infection (9, 10, 11).
This proves to be of especial significance for patients with chronic pulmonary disease (CPD) – a lung disease characterized by breathing problems and poor airflow. For these patients, cold showers were illustrated to significantly improve their quality of life and subjective wellbeing (12).
Yet CPD is not the only disease that cold showers could protect. In fact daily exposure to cold showers was shown to increase the activity of peripheral cytotoxic T-lymphocytes and NK cells. These cells are responsible for protecting the body from infection and disease by killing virally infected cells that can lead to tumours (13).
Cardiovascular System
Increased heart rate, blood pressure, and anxiety are among the first things you notice when stepping into a cold shower. It is your body’s way of telling you, “What the hell are you doing!”
Yet it is in this state of tension that makes the cold shower so beneficial. Cold water immersion mimic’s the physiological conditions of exercise by stimulating the peripheral catecholamine concentration. This helps enhance both alertness and the body’s metabolism, effectively preparing the body for physical activity (14, 15).
As the cold water hits your skin, your blood circulates faster and triggers the circulatory system, which reduces inflammation and can help prevent cardiovascular disease (16).
Other cardiovascular benefits include:
- Reduced risk of heart disease
- Strengthened muscles and bones
- Improved cognition
- Enhanced Libido
- Reduce risk of colon, breast, and lung cancer,
- Improved mood
- Regulated blood sugar and insulin levels
- Improved longevity (17, 18)
Nervous System
Ever wonder why you feel so alert after taking a cold shower?
This is because the exposure to cold water stimulates the components of the brain’s reticular activating system, a network of neurons that regulates wakefulness and sleep-wake transitions. This results in the brain’s increased capacity to recruit motor neurons, which are responsible for controlling muscle movement and impulses (19, 20, 21).
We know that cold showers overwhelm the brain with electrical activity, but this is not merely the result of increased alertness. Cold showers even hold anti-depressive effects as they decrease cortisol (the stress chemical) and increase serotonin (the happy chemical) in the brain post exposure (22).
The electrical activity induced by cold showers is so powerful that one study even compares it to electroconvulsive therapy (also called electric shock therapy). This is because both induce antipsychotic analgesia (pain-relief) through physiological states of stress (23, 24).
Muscle Recovery
Cold showers and ice-baths have become a staple for recovery in the world of professional sports.
Several studies have found that cold water immersion below 15 °C resulted in decreased levels of fatigue and the onset of muscle soreness, contributing to recovery on a neuromuscular level (24, 25, 26).
One report measures this impact directly on young soccer players. It was found that the reduction in perceived fatigue and muscle soreness can improve physical training and performance (27).
This is because cold exposure produces small surface vasodilation in deeper muscle tissues, which results in increased blood flow to areas in need of recovery (28, 29).
Some research even suggests that cold showers may provide arthritic relief for patients with chronic inflammatory arthritis (30).
Psychological Strength
While there is little scientific or empirical evidence to support this claim, it’s widely regarded that the number one benefit of cold showers is the psychological benefits that it provides.
Think about it. Exposing yourself to the perils of freezing cold temperatures every-day is not for the faint of heart. Regularly accustoming yourself to tough and strenuous situations will help you cultivate discipline and willpower – this is inevitable.
“The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war” – Norman Schwarzkopf
In stoic practice, it is critical to prepare one’s self for the impending doom. Some examples include:
- Seneca actively lived, dressed, and conditioned his environment like that of the slaves, even though he was one of the richest men in Rome
- Former slave Epictetus would continue to act as a slave even after he was freed
- Emperor Marcus Aurelius imagined his children on their deathbed every night after kissing them goodnight
Though extreme, there was deep purpose to the deliberate hardships that the Stoics would put themselves in: to ease the tensions of every day angers or anxieties.
Cold showers do not merely adapt you to the cold; they adapt you to hardship and pain.
