How the COLD can be good for you (yes, really!)
It may not sound as pleasant as immersing yourself in a warm bath.
However, Experts claim that taking a cold dip – even a short one – will do wonders for your health.
Decades of research have linked exposure to cold, whether in the form of a shower, bath or running outside during the winter, to a host of benefits.
From boosting the immune system, helping you lose weight and reducing stress levels, MailOnline investigates why embracing the cold could be the secret to better health.
Taking a dip in cold water or a brisk walk in the fresh air can have countless health benefits, from boosting your immune system to boosting your sex life
Strengthens the immune system
Turning on the cold tap while showering, even for just 30 seconds, can boost the immune system, experts say.
The shock of cold water is thought to stimulate leukocytes – white blood cells that fight infection.
According to a 2016 study, those who add a cold stream of water to their showers actually need fewer sick days. study in the Netherlands.
Researchers recruited more than 3,000 participants, aged 18 to 65, who did not normally take cold showers.
Those who took cold showers for 30, 60 or 90 seconds for three months reported illness 29 percent less than those who kept the water warm.
READ MORE: The nasty gene that can make you 20kg heavier
One gene in particular, called MC4R, is essential for regulating body weight. Although everyone has it, some people with a mutated version find it much harder to resist the urge to eat
In addition to increasing work productivity through fewer sick days, the scientists suggested that cold showers could also improve quality of life and reduce anxiety.
Keeps you slim
Jumping into a cold shower every morning can keep you slim, but only if you start shivering afterwards.
This is thought to be down to thermogenesis: the process the body uses to generate heat, which has the knock-on effect of burning calories.
One investigation, led by Dr. Mariëtte Boon from the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands discovered that this method was an effective way to use energy.
The team recruited 24 adults who were monitored during a shower at 7:45 a.m. and 7:45 p.m.
The water temperature was gradually reduced until the participants were shivering or the temperature reached 9C (48.2F). They were then exposed to this cold temperature for another 90 minutes.
The results showed that the cold temperatures led volunteers to burn more calories. There was no difference in energy burn between times of the day for women. But men burned more calories during their morning shower.
Dr. Boon advised people who want to try cold exposure to start with a cold morning shower for 20 seconds and build up to no longer than 90 seconds.
Lowers the risk of depression
Although it doesn't sound pleasant, taking a cold shower can boost your mood.
In 2007, exposure to cold was even found to alleviate depression symptoms study by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine.
Cold exposure is thought to activate the nervous system and increase blood flow to the brain, causing the release of norepinephrine.
Taking a cold shower can not only strengthen your immune system, but also reduce the symptoms of depression. One case study found that a woman who went swimming in cold water managed to reduce her symptoms and remain medication-free
This neurotransmitter has been shown to have a positive effect on mood.
Some studies have also found a spike in dopamine after exposure to cold water, known as the pleasure hormone.
The antidepressant effects of cold water exposure may also be mediated in part by cold receptors in the skin, notes a 2014 study. study about the effects of hydrotherapy.
These thermoreceptors – which detect heat and cold – send electrical impulses to the brain, which, according to the researchers, can cause a pain-relieving effect.
In addition, a medical case report suggests that open water swimming may even be recommended as a treatment for depression.
Professor Michael Tipton, an expert in physiology at the University of Portsmouth, and colleagues, explained that a 24-year-old woman had suffered from anxiety for years and subsequently developed depression.
After several medications failed to work, she was told to swim in cold water once a week. “This led to an immediate improvement in mood after each dive and a sustained and gradual reduction in symptoms of depression,” the medics wrote.
At follow-up one year later, she remained medication-free.
Reduces stress
Getting cold is perhaps the best way to relax and de-stress.
In fact, according to a 2004 study, stress levels improve in response to cold water immersion study by researchers in Finland.
They interviewed 82 people about their mood and health in the fall and again at the beginning of the year – before and after the winter outdoor swimming period.
About two-thirds of the group swam, while the other third served as a control group.
Researchers found that tension levels among the swimmers dropped significantly, while their memory and mood improved, compared to those who didn't dive.
The team attributed this to cold water triggering the release of norepinephrine, as well as its analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects.
Furthermore, being forced to adapt to the cold through repeated exposure to it may “increase the ability to withstand other types of stress,” they suggested.
Improves fitness
Forcing yourself to go for a jog in icy temperatures can increase the calorie-burning power of a workout and increase endurance.
Researchers at Aston University in Birmingham claim that exercising in winter will increase the number of calories burned, which could help with weight loss.
Jogging in the cold can keep your heart in shape and train more efficiently
This is because the body has to work harder to maintain core temperature, which stimulates metabolism.
Additionally, it can feel like less physical exertion when it's cold because the heart doesn't have to work as hard as on a hot day.
In fact, researchers from St Mary's University in London found that cold conditions lower a runner's heart rate by six percent, making running feel less physically demanding.
It is thanks to this mechanism that cold weather exercises can increase endurance.
'In colder temperatures, your heart doesn't have to work as hard, you sweat less and use less energy, which means you can exercise more efficiently,' according to Dr. Adam Tenforde, assistant professor of sports medicine and rehabilitation at the Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation Network.
Increases sex life
A dip in cold water can help increase your libido.
That's because testosterone and estrogen – the male and female sex hormones, which are closely linked to sexual desire – increase after cold water therapy.
A paper by researchers at Northumbria University recruited 14 players from the English Premier League academy, who went indoors or into a -60°C (-75 F) cryotherapy chamber for 30 seconds after completing sprints.
Those exposed to freezing temperatures had elevated testosterone levels for 24 hours, the results showed.
Another 2021 study Polish researchers also found that testosterone levels increased by five percent among men who were immersed in cold water after a sauna session.
The evidence for women's libido is less robust.
However, a team from the Pomeranian Medical University in Poland discovered that female Rats that swam in cold water, rather than warm water, had higher levels of estradiol, a type of estrogen that can contribute to a libido boost.