In recent years, some of the wellness and productivity gurus seem to have taken it upon themselves to torture their followers with the most inhuman torments. First there was the fashion of getting up at five in the morning to complete an endless ritual. Now, the new trend is to immerse yourself in ice water every morning with the excuse of relieving stress, reducing inflammation and strengthening defenses.
Science has already dismantled the supposed benefits of get up at five, and now it’s the turn of the ice water baths. Researchers from the University of South Australia they have not found evidence of the miracles that the gurus attribute to this practice.
The influencers from the cold. In recent years, polar baths, also known as cold water immersions, have gained enormous popularity. Elite athletes and professional players like LeBron James soak in baths of ice water after competitions. Even Gwyneth Paltrow dedicated one of the episodes of his series The Goop Lab to show the supposed therapeutic benefits of immersing yourself in icy waters.
That trend has become popular reaching all types of people who are just looking for general well-being or simply reducing stress levels. Social networks and influencershave attributed multiple benefits to these baths for physical and mental health. However, science wanted to check whether immersion in ice water is as beneficial as social networks have led us to believe.
Bathing is okay, temperature is optional. Researchers at the University of South Australia decided to scientifically evaluate the supposed benefits of soaking in ice water. To do this, they carried out a meta-analysis of 11 global studies, the results of which were published in PLOS One.
For the analysis, data from immersions and cold showers with temperatures between 7 and 15 ºC were used for a time range of between 30 seconds and two hours. Although some benefits attributed to this practice were identified in the results, the researchers found that the existing evidence focuses primarily on athletes and not the general population.
A study carried out by Coventry University, reveals that, although it is true that baths with cold water increase energy expenditure in the short term by activating fat burning, it produces a rebound effect by increasing appetite, so the supposed benefit is neutralized.
Forget the cure for stress. The researchers stated in their report that the effects of immersion in ice water against stress were not as advertised “we found that immersion in cold water could reduce stress levels, but only for about 12 hours after exposure.” That is, there was no evidence that immersion in ice water had an immediate effect on stress levels, nor an appreciable long-term effect.
“We noticed that participants who took cold showers of 20, 60 or 90 seconds gave slightly higher quality of life scores. But again, after three months these effects had disappeared,” the researchers explained in their report.
What doesn’t keep you awake makes you stronger. The results in improving sleep quality were also not conclusive. The study found links between improvements in sleep quality and cold water immersion, although this conclusion was based on data limited exclusively to men, which calls for more research in various population groups.
The researchers did not venture to say that cold water immersion could have a positive effect on the immune system because, although it is true that a 29% reduction in work absences related illnesses among those who took cold showers, there were no significant improvements in the immediate immune response to cold exposure.
These data indicate that, although there are potential advantages to exposure to ice water, the effects of this exposure are neither consistent nor long-lasting, calling into question the widespread effectiveness what the gurus attribute to him.
The “straining effect” of the cold. Among the most surprising findings the Australian researchers made was the inflammatory response to cold water immersion. Contrary to popular belief, rather than reducing inflammation, ice water baths caused “significant increases in inflammation,” both immediately and an hour later.
According to the researchers, this reflects an “acute inflammatory response” of the body to cold stress. In the words of study co-author Ben Singh, “this immediate spike in inflammation is part of an adaptation process similar to muscle damage caused by exercise, which subsequently strengthens the muscles.” That is, like soreness, this adaptive effect can be positive for athletes of high physical performancebut Singh highlighted that it could be harmful for people with pre-existing pathologies.
In other words, unless you have just participated in an Olympic event, showering with cold water only will improve your productivity in the sense that it will take less time to shower and you will be able to spend that time to other tasks.
The risk of ice baths. A study conducted by researchers at King’s College London on the phenomenon of “autonomous conflict” reveals that exposure to ice water baths can pose a risk even for people without previous pathologies.
Research shows that when someone dives into ice water while holding their breath, two opposing reflexes compete to control the heart, which can cause arrhythmias even in healthy people. That risk is reduced as “thermal shock” is reduced, with a cold shower being safer than an ice bath.
A version of this article was published in February 2025
In Xataka | In 1947 the Yukon reached -63ºC. So a scientist started listening to conversations five kilometers away.
Image | Pexels (Vidar Nordli-Mathisen)
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings