Is anything as great as a warm shower on a cold day? Just thinking about it puts us in a better mood. But, what if that hot water was keeping you from reaching your weight loss goals?
If you've heard a rumour that cold showers help with burning fat, we're here to give you the real scoop based on facts. Let's dive in on the science behind cold showers, the potential health benefits, and the truth on whether they hold the key to fat loss.
What is cold therapy?
Cold therapy, also known as cryotherapy, is a practice that dates back thousands of years. In simple terms, it involves exposing your body to cold temperatures for a set amount of time [1].
But, what are cold temperatures? And, how long should you be in them? Well, it’s sort of up to you.
Examples of cold therapy include taking a cold shower or ice bath, swimming in cold water, applying ice packs to the body or standing in cold temperatures.
While some people go to extremes by swimming in freezing waters at -2°C, others stick to a more reasonable idea. For most people, it's a time limit of 5-15 minutes at a cold temperature of around 15°C or less [1].
Of course, people aren’t doing this just for fun. They’re hoping to gain health benefits, such as:
- A strong immune system
- Improved mental health
- Enhanced libido
- Lower stress
- Burning fat
- Muscle recovery
One of the most popular cold therapy methods is ice bathing, which is a favourite of professional athletes.
In recent years, a new method has emerged which combines cold water immersion with breathing exercises. It is led by Wim Hof, a.k.a The Iceman.
The Wim Hof Method
Wim Hof is a bit of a cold therapy legend. He holds 21 world records for his ability to withstand the cold — including climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in shorts, swimming 66 metres below ice and standing for 2 hours in a container full of ice cubes [3].
The Wim Hof Method (WHM) is meant to help enhance your immune function, as well as improve your physical and mental health. It combines daily cold showers or an ice bath with special breathing techniques.
So, does it work? The evidence is mixed. While plenty of research has been done on the WHM, many of these studies were spearheaded by Hof himself, which could lead to bias in the results.
The studies also have a small sample size and focus primarily on men, so more research would be needed to prove benefits for the general population.
However, an independent literature review of available research did find some success in the WHM. In this case, the biggest benefits were for stress reduction and anti-inflammatory effects.
Chronic inflammation has been linked to many health issues that fall into the category of metabolic diseases — which are the kind linked to being overweight or obese [1]. To help combat these issues, an emerging field of research is looking at whether cold water immersion can help you lose weight.
Does it help burn fat?
There is almost nothing logical about jumping in cold water to burn fat…but, it can work. The reason is a process called thermogenesis.
Thermogenesis is the scientific name for the process of bodily heat generation. It is an essential function that helps you stay at a healthy body temperature [2].
Brown adipose tissue, also known as brown fat, is key to this process. For many years, we believed that brown fat was only for babies with the tissue becoming inactive in adults.
But in 2007, new research showed us that adults do in fact carry brown fat and it may play an important role in helping to regulate body weight.
Before we talk about how that process works, you need to understand the difference between brown and white fat.
Brown fat vs white fat
The key difference between brown fat and white fat is its ability to use energy [2][5]:
- Brown fat is active fat: it can be burned to generate heat and keep you warm.
- White fat is inactive fat: it can help you trap heat for insulation.
The unique ability of brown fat to turn excess energy into heat has made it a popular research target for helping to reduce obesity [6].
How to activate brown fat cells
It would be cool if your brown fat was hanging out burning calories all day, but that’s not really how it works. It has to be activated first.
One of the most well-researched brown fat activators is exposure to the cold [2]. When your body feels cold, it kickstarts internal processes to warm up.
There are multiple processes at play here, with some aimed at heat production while others aim to minimise heat loss. Burning brown fat is a form of heat production that happens after your sympathetic nervous system has been stimulated.
Aside from taking a cold shower, both exercise and certain foods have been shown to activate brown fat [2].
The effects of cold exposure on body fat cells
Researchers are pretty excited about brown fat as a missing link in the puzzle of obesity. But, if we’re being honest, the evidence is mixed.
While one study found that cold exposure could increase your resting metabolism by up to 14%, another study found that exposure to cold had limited effects in overweight people.
In fact, multiple studies have shown that brown fat is more active in normal weight groups than it is for people who are overweight or obese [6].
Then there’s the fact many of the studies were actually completed on mice. Only a few have been completed with human subjects. This makes the evidence weaker because, you know…people aren’t the same as mice [6].
Despite all this confusion, there are a couple of things that we do know [4][6]:
- Burning brown fat is key to maintaining your core body temperature, which is why exposure to the cold works.
- Acute exposure for less than 7 days in a row seems to have strong effects as it stops your body from adapting to the cold.
- Long-term exposure has the potential to turn inactive white fat into active brown fat, a process known as ‘beiging’.
Does taking cold showers help with weight loss?
As much as we’d love to tell you a daily cold shower is the secret to weight loss, the evidence just isn’t there.
Studies have been completed since the 1970s and we haven’t been able to say for certain that cold showers, cold water immersion or other forms of cold exposure are capable of achieving weight loss [4][6].
To put this into perspective, one study found that most adults have only a few grams of brown fat in their bodies. The energy burned by such a small amount of fat equates to around 20 calories per day, or about 2 minutes of light running [5].
This means the calories burned from a cold shower are kind of like the calories burned during sex or while you’re sleeping. Yes, they count towards your total energy burned for the day, but they’re not going to move the needle far enough for sustainable weight loss.
But, that’s not to say there are zero benefits to a cold shower — in case you felt like giving it a try.
Health benefits of taking cold showers
Okay, so a cold shower isn’t going to help with weight loss — but it’s not pointless. A lot of people enjoy cold exposure for other reasons, such as post-exercise recovery and a stronger immune system.
Improve muscle recovery
Ask almost any athlete what their post-workout recovery looks like and many will mention an ice bath. This popular practice has been proven to help reduce muscle soreness [1].
One reason it is believed to work is that cold exposure improves your blood flow. When your body needs to warm up, it usually starts pumping blood. And fresh, oxygenated blood flowing to damaged muscles can help improve recovery times [7].
Rest assured, if you hate the cold, that your muscles can recover on their own, but an ice bath is one way to help them out.
Reduce inflammation
As we said earlier, one of the biggest reported benefits of the Wim Hof Method is reducing inflammation, which can help lower your risk of certain diseases [3].
Other studies on general cold exposure have found it is effective for reducing chronic inflammation. However, the people with the most benefits were also doing other things known to be good for the mind and body — like regular exercise, staying social, and minimising stress [1].
Strong immune system
The last thing many of us want to do in winter is jump in a cold shower, but what if it could help you avoid cold and flu season?
There is promising evidence that cold therapy can support your immune system which helps it fight off colds, the flu, and stress [1].
The theory is that the shock from the cold water activates your immune response, which helps it clear simple infections from your system.
One study from the Netherlands found that people who switched their shower to cold water for 30, 60 or 90 seconds called in sick 29% less than those having hot showers [7].
Are there any risks to cold showers?
In general, brief cold showers are considered a low-risk activity. Your body is amazing at maintaining its core temperature, so it will jump into action to help you manage the cold [2].
But, that’s not to say the practice is completely risk-free, as cold therapy is not recommended for people with certain conditions [7].
Other risks to the general population include [1]:
- Hypothermia: An ice bath could cause your body temperature to drop dangerously low.
- Shock: Sudden immersion in cold water can cause shock, which is characterised by increases in your breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure.
- Hyperventilating: A symptom of shock that could carry an increased risk of drowning in deep waters.
- Ice burns or rashes: A less serious side effect of cold water exposure could be ice burns and rashes.
The best way to understand these risks and practice cold therapy safely is to speak with your doctor about it first.
It’s also important that you listen to your body during intense experiences like this. We know it’s often seen as masculine or manly to push yourself to withstand pain, but your body’s warning signs exist for a reason — so do listen to them [1].
If you are keen to give cold showers a try, then it's recommended to ease yourself into the practice. Here are a few tips [7]:
- Keep the temp at or below 15°C for no more than 2-3 minutes at a time.
- Build up your tolerance in short bursts. Start with just 30 seconds of cold water exposure, then gradually increase to 60 seconds, 90 seconds, and eventually a few minutes.
- Alternating between hot and cold water can work too, but you should always finish on cold for maximum health benefits.
Taking a holistic approach to weight loss
We’re sorry we had to burst your bubble on the cold shower idea, but we do want to help you find a weight loss plan that works.
The holistic approach to weight loss is all about building up healthy habits that contribute to sustainable weight loss over time.
You could do this with a dedicated health team, like your doctor, a dietitian and a personal trainer. Or, you could join a holistic weight loss program that offers all-in-one.
Pilot’s Metabolic Reset Program is designed to support you on a weight loss journey, combining clinically backed treatments and lifestyle support.
Different types of support include advice on nutrition, portion sizing and activity levels; plus access to a community of men on the same journey. We won’t force you to follow any of the steps, we'll simply give you all the tools to help yourself.
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