Health Debunked: Can Cold Showers Help With Weight Loss?
Key takeaways:
There’s no evidence that cold showers help with weight loss. But they still may provide other benefits for your metabolism.
Cold water immersion can activate brown fat cells, which then burn fat to create more energy. Some studies suggest this can help regulate insulin levels and help prevent diabetes.
Other possible health benefits of cold showers include a stronger immune system, better mood, and improved athletic performance.
Cold showers have become more popular in recent years. Celebrities and social media stars have proclaimed plenty of benefits from cold showers — like better energy, a stronger immune system, and clearer skin. Some people claim cold showers also help with weight loss. But the research is mixed. Here, we’ll review what’s known — and not known — about the effect of cold showers on weight loss.
Does taking a cold shower really help with weight loss?
Probably not. Some studies show that cold water immersion can help you regulate insulin levels and might help prevent weight gain. But there’s no strong evidence that cold showers help you lose weight.
The studies on this subject have been pretty small. And their findings have been inconsistent. It’s possible that cold showers have an effect on weight, but the studies just haven’t shown it yet. More research is needed to say for sure.
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Another reason it’s hard to know if cold showers are effective for weight loss is that different studies define cold-water immersion differently. Some look at swimming in cold water, while others evaluate ice baths (sitting in very cold water). So, it’s unclear if a cold shower is cold enough to reach the same potential health benefits.
Why do some people believe that taking cold showers can burn fat?
The use of cold water immersion for health benefits dates all the way back to ancient Greeks. People used cold-water baths to treat medical issues like fever, and also to help relax and socialize. In more recent years, cold showers have been researched as a potential way to burn fat, as some evidence shows that cold immersion can activate fat cells.
To understand what this means, let’s talk briefly about fat tissue. We have two main types of fat cells:
White fat, or white adipose cells: These cells make up most of our fat. They’re stored in areas like your chest, abdomen, and upper legs. This is the type of fat that contributes to increased body size. It’s also the type of fat that protects you against the cold.
Brown fat, or brown adipose cells: These cells make up a very small amount of our total fat, in the range of 5% to 10%. Brown fat breaks down blood sugar and helps burn other fat cells.
It turns out that cold exposure might help brown fat cells burn fat. Cold exposure has been shown to:
Burn brown fat cells to create energy (the “shivering” that happens when you’re cold involves breaking down brown fat to release energy in the form of heat to keep you warm)
Activate pathways in brown fat cells that lead to the breakdown of other fat cells
Turn more white fat into brown fat
Studies in animals show that activating brown fat helps to prevent excess weight and improve metabolic health. In humans, researchers have found that having more brown fat helps prevent obesity and high cholesterol. However, there’s no conclusive evidence that brown fat activation actually leads to weight loss.
Hot vs. cold showers after a workout: Our exports compare the research on whether a hot or cold shower is better for muscle recovery.
Don’t like the cold? Try a sauna instead. Research shows saunas have multiple health benefits — from improved heart health to lower dementia risk.
Saunas and weight loss: While saunas offer many science-backed benefits, long-term weight loss isn’t one of them. But they may increase calorie burn.
What do experts say about taking cold showers for weight loss?
Dr. Minisha Sood is a board-certified endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist in New York City. Sood said, “Even though cold exposure leads to increased caloric burn, unfortunately, the amount of calories burned is not significant.”
It’s also important to remember that many of the studies on cold-water immersion look at ice baths or cold-water swimming, which aren’t exactly the same as cold showers.
“Given the lack of evidence for cold showers aiding in weight loss, it is generally not an active recommendation made by obesity experts at this time,” Sood said.
So, is it worth trying to take cold showers?
It depends. Whether it’s worth trying cold showers might depend on if you have any other health conditions that could make cold showers riskier for you.
When cold exposure activates brown fat, it does this by turning on the sympathetic nervous system. This is also known as the “fight-or-flight” reaction, and it can cause temporary changes like:
Increased heart rate
Increased blood pressure
Increased breathing rate
Less blood flow to your brain
People who may need to be cautious with cold shower include those:
With heart disease
Older than 65 years
With conditions triggered by cold exposure, like Raynaud’s syndrome or cold urticaria
The research on risks of cold-water immersion has looked at swimming in cold water more than cold showers. While cold showers might be less risky, more research is needed to understand their possible effects.
If you don’t have the above risk factors, you might consider trying to take cold showers for their possible fat-burning effects. Other possible benefits of cold showers include:
Stronger immunity
Better mood
Improved athletic performance
Faster muscle recovery after exercise
“There is little downside to trying cold showers,” Sood said. “If someone is interested in exploring whether it may help improve focus, alertness, temperature regulation, or fat metabolism, I am in support of that.”
Frequently asked questions
There’s absolutely no scientific evidence to suggest that you’ll gain weight if you shower after eating.
You can take a cold shower in the morning or at night. But many people prefer to take one in the morning, as they find it gives them more energy throughout the day. Since cold showers activate the sympathetic nervous system, you may find that taking a cold shower right before bed makes it harder to fall asleep.
If you enjoy cold showers and the way they make you feel, you can take them every day. But don’t do so if they exacerbate certain health conditions or cause unpleasant symptoms. In this case, it’s best to check in with a healthcare professional who knows your medical history before you resume cold showers.
The bottom line
Cold showers have been shown to activate brown fat, which might help with metabolism. But more research is needed to know if cold showers can help you lose weight. Some people feel that cold showers can help improve their mood, athletic performance, and boost their immune system. You might consider taking cold showers, but keep in mind that cold-water immersion might have some risks for people with heart disease or chronic medical problems.
Why trust our experts?
References
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Knechtle, B., et al. (2020). Cold water swimming—benefits and risks: A narrative review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
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Maltseva, N., et al. (2020). Cold urticaria – what we know and what we do not know. European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
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U.S. News. (2023). Celebs tout ice baths, but science on benefits is lukewarm.
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