The old practice of immersing ourselves into cold water can be dated back to at least 3500 BC and is still promoted today by athletes and wellness influencers (1).
But are the claims true? Can cold plunges really cure diseases and alleviate a variety of conditions?
Let’s plunge into what science has to say!
Sources
- Cold for centuries: a brief history of cryotherapies to improve health, injury and post-exercise recovery | European Journal of Applied Physiology | February 2022
- Health effects of voluntary exposure to cold water – a continuing subject of debate | International Journal of Circumpolar Health | September 2022
- The Initial Responses to Cold-Water Immersion in Man | Clinical Science | Portland Press | December 1989
- Cold water immersion and recovery from strenuous exercise: a meta-analysis | British Journal of Sports Medicine | October 2022
- Can Water Temperature and Immersion Time Influence the Effect of Cold Water Immersion on Muscle Soreness? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis | Sports Medicine | November 2015
- Cooling and Performance Recovery of Trained Athletes: A Meta-Analytical Review | International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance
- The Effect of Post-Exercise Cryotherapy on Recovery Characteristics: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis | PLOS ONE | September 2015
- Winter swimming improves general well-being: International Journal of Circumpolar Health | International Journal of Circumpolar Health | June 2004
- The Effect of Water Temperature during Cold-Water Immersion on Recovery from Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage | International Journal of Sports Medicine | 2016
- Cold exposure protects from neuroinflammation through immunologic reprogramming | Cell Metabolism | November 2021
- Effects of cold water immersion after exercise on fatigue recovery and exercise performance–meta analysis | Frontiers in Physiology | January 2023
- The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work: A Randomized Controlled Trial | PLoS One | September 2016
- Immune system of cold-exposed and cold-adapted humans | European Journal of Applied Physiology | 1996
- Effects of 3-week repeated cold water immersion on leukocyte counts and cardiovascular factors: an exploratory study | Frontiers in Physiology | August 2023
- Residual effects of short-term whole-body cold-water immersion on the cytokine profile, white blood cell count, and blood markers of stress | International Journal of Hyperthermia | April 2021
- Cold exposure protects from neuroinflammation through immunologic reprogramming | Cell Metabolism | November 2021
- Scientists Finally Figure Out Why You’re More Likely to Get Sick in Cold Weather | Healthline | December 2022
- Cold exposure impairs extracellular vesicle swarm–mediated nasal antiviral immunity | The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology | February 2023
- Effect of Acute Cold Exposure on Energy Metabolism and Activity of Brown Adipose Tissue in Humans: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis | Frontiers in Physiology | June 2022
- Examining the benefits of cold exposure as a therapeutic strategy for obesity and type 2 diabetes | Journal of Applied Physiology | May 2021
- Metabolic responses to mild cold acclimation in type 2 diabetes patients | Nature Communications | March 2021
- Human Brown Adipose Tissue—A Decade Later | Obesity | May 2021
- Altered brown fat thermoregulation and enhanced cold-induced thermogenesis in young, healthy, winter-swimming men | Cell Reports Medicine | October 2021
- Taking the Plunge: Is Cold Exposure Worthwhile? | Cedars-Sinai | July 2022
- Cold plunges are all the rage. But what does the science say? | CBC News | January 2024
- You’re not a polar bear: The plunge into cold water comes with risks | American Heart Association | December 2022
- The Fitness Trends That Experts Hate | The New York Times | January 2025
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