Alexa Fleckenstein, M.D., author of Health20, has a few things to say about cold showers. Within the book, she writes:

“Cold water can do more than just wash away sweat, dirt, old skin cells, bacteria, and viruses:

What a Cold Shower Can Do For You

1. Enhance immunity against infections and cancer

2. Give your glands (thyroid, adrenals, ovaries/testes) a boost, improving hormonal activity

3. Jump-start your mood and motivation

4. Crank up your metabolism to fight type 2 diabetes, obesity, gout, rheumatic diseases, depression, and more

5. Normalize your blood pressure

6. Decrease chronic pain

7. Train and improve your blood circulation

8. Detoxify your body

9. Fight fatigue

10. Strengthen exhausted, irritable nerves

11. Rejuvenate, heal, and tone the skin

12. Deepen your breathing

13. Help with insomnia

14. Improve kidney function

15. Reduce swelling and edema

16. Improve lymphatic circulation, thereby increasing immune function

17. Reduce stress by regulating your autonomic nervous system

18. Regulate temperature, fighting chronically cold hands and cold feet and excessive sweating

19. Keep your hair healthy

20. Improve hemorrhoids and varicose veins

21. Reduce aches and pains”

Just thought you’d like to know.

Dr. James Currie and his Cold Water Cure

Dr. James Currie was handed the unique challenge of curing an infirmary of soldiers while traveling by ship, without access to appropriate medicine. Cold water was his cure.

Symptoms

Dr. James Currie said that he generally observed a time over the course of 24 hours when a fever would exhibit a spike in intensity; he called these “exacerbations”. Of these, he said “These exacerbations are marked by increased flushing, thirst, and restlessness. If the heat of the patient be, at such times, taken by thermometer, it will be found to have risen one or two degrees in the central parts of the body above the average heat of the fever, and still more on the extremities”.

Treatment

He continued: “The safest and most advantageous time for using the aspersion of affusion of cold water, is when the exacerbations is at its height, or immediately after its declination is begun; and this has led me almost always to direct it to be employed from six to nine in the evening; but it may be safely used at any time of the day, when there is no sense of chilliness present, when the heat of the surface is steadily above what is natural, and when there is no general or profuse sensible perspiration. — These particulars are of the utmost importance.”

Caution! Does Not Mix with Chills

He further cautioned: “If the affusion of cold water on the surface of the body be used during the cold stage of the paroxysm of fever, the respiration is nearly suspended; the  pulse becomes fluttering, feeble, and of an incalculable frequency; the surface and extremities become doubly cold and shrivelled, and the patient seems to struggle with the pangs of instant dissolution. I have no doubt, from what I have observed, that in such circumstances, the repeated affusion of a few buckets of cold water would extinguish life. This remedy should therefore never be used when any considerable sense of chilliness is present, even though the thermometer, applied to the trunk of the body, should indicate a degree of heat greater than usual.”

Neither ought it to be used, when the heat, measured by the thermometer, is less than, or even only equal to the natural heat, through the patient should feel no degree of chilliness. This is sometimes the case towards the last stages of fever, when the powers of life are too weak to sustain so powerful a stimulus.

More Caution – Does Not Mix with Profuse Sweating

It is also necessary to abstain from the use of this remedy when the body is under profuse sensible perspiration, and this caution is more important in proportion to the continuance of this perspiration. In the commencement of sweating, especially if it has been brought on by violent exercise, the affusion of cold water on the naked body, or even immersion in the cold bath, may be hazarded with little risque, and sometimes may be resorted to with great benefit. After the sweating has continued some time and flowed freely, especially if the body has remained at rest, either the affusion or immersion is attended with danger, even though the heat of the body at the moment of using it be greater than natural. Sweating is always a cooling process in itself, but in bed it is often prolonged by artificial means, and the body is prevented from cooling under it to the natural degree, by the load of heated clothes. When the heat has been thus artificially kept up, a practitioner, judging by the information of his thermometer only, may be led into error. In this situation, however, I have observed that the heat sinks rapidly on the exposure of the surface of the body even to the external air, and that the application of cold water, either by affusion or immersion, is accompanied by a loss of heat and a deficiency of re-action, which are altogether inconsistent with safety.”

James Currie’s Actual Stories

Case #1

A Nurse in the fever-ward of the Infirmary, having several patients under her care, caught the infection. She was seized with violent rigors, chilliness and wandering pains, succeeded by great heat, thirst, and head-ach. Sixteen hours after the first attack, her heat at the axilla was 103° of Fah1., her pulse 112 in the minute and strong ; her thirst great, her tongue furred, and her skin dry.

Five gallons of salt water, of the temperature of 44° F were poured over her naked body, at five o’clock in the afternoon, and after being hastily dried with towels, she was replaced in bed: when the the agitation and sobbing had subsided, her pulse was found to beat at the rate of 96 strokes in the minute, and in half an hour afterwards it had fallen to 80. The heat was reduced to 98° by the affusion, and half an hour afterwards it remained stationary. The sense of heat and head-ach were gone, and the thirst nearly gone. Six hours afterwards she was found perfectly free of fever, but a good deal of debility remained.

Source:Medical Reports, on the Effects of Water, Cold and Warm (pg. 18-26)

How Hot Water Dries Skin

The mechanism behind this is quite simple; heat opens skin pores, so a hot shower leaves the skin’s oils completely vulnerable to being eroded by the water. A cold shower closes the pores more tightly, keeping oils locked in.

Testimonial

Here is one testimonial I found interesting:

“I once had a short term job that required me to live outdoors for a little over a month. During that time, the only type of shower I had access to was an outdoor one that only supplied cold water….After a month of not drying my body out with the usual hot, steamy shower, my skin was extremely soft, radiant, smooth, naturally moist (but not oily), and healthy. After I returned home,  I continued taking cool showers because I simply learned to love them and the accompanying benefits.”

Cold Showers for Sunburns?

The water temperature for a sunburn should be perhaps not cold, but “cool” water, as described by the National Institutes of Health. They suggest: “Try taking a cool shower or bath or placing wet, cold wash rags on the burn.” [1].

1. Medline Plus

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were ultimately very refreshing. However, that was not the only benefit to such brisk showers. After a month of not drying my body out with the usual hot, steamy shower, my skin was extremely soft, radiant, smooth, naturally moist (but not oily), and healthy. After I returned home, I continued taking cool showers because I simply learned to love them and the accompanying benefits.

An infrared Sauna is as Portable as a Suitcase

The low cost and portability of infrared saunas are bringing the health benefits out of the spa and into the home. For several reasons, it is extremely beneficial to use an infrared sauna immediately before a cold shower.

1. Stimulate Circulation to Skin and Muscles

An infrared sauna followed by a cold shower is much like the tradition of Finnish Saunas, where it is customary to jump into a cold lake after a steam sauna session. The heat of the sauna raises your body’s surface temperature, increasing blood flow and nutrient delivery to the skin. Afterward, the cold water sends blood rushing back to internal organs, exercising the full range of circulation.

2. Superior to Hot Water

While hot water can be relaxing, it is far from the ideal medium for warming the body. Hot showers strip the skin of its essential oils and create a noxious steam that amplifies the absorption of any toxic impurities. While hot tubs are generally precluded for pregnant women, saunas pose no serious health risks [1].

3. Feels Better

Cold showers can be uncomfortable at first, but a sauna makes the cold water immediately enjoyable. After you have been using the sauna for 10-20 minutes, you will be excited for the refreshment of a cold shower and its myriad benefits.

4. Safe and Effective

Infrared saunas warm the body with infrared heat, which is the same type of heat you might feel from the sun during early morning or late afternoon hours. The infrared waves in saunas are completely safe, and in fact, research shows these waves can actually protect the skin against sun damage [2]. Like steam saunas, infrared saunas offer benefits to sufferers of arthritis, mild depression, loss of appetite, high blood pressure, and much more.

5. Extremely Affordable

A traditional steam sauna can cost well over $5,000, but portable infrared saunas offer the same benefits, if not more, for merely hundreds. They are extremely cheap to operate, consuming no more than 20 cents of electricity per hour – much cheaper than the gas and water consumed by a hot shower.

Amazon: Infrared Saunas

1. Skittish About Saunas?
2. Infrared Radiation May Protect Skin Against Aging and Damage.

Cold water can help alleviate inflammation and muscle soreness from intense exercise. The concept dates back to the tale of semi-legendary hydrotherapist Vincenz Priesnittz, who, seeing a deer hold a wounded limb in a stream, became inspired to heal the masses with his cold water treatment. Jockeys have known for years that cold water wraps and compresses can speed up recovery and help prevent injury in horses. There are a significant amount of studies, sponsored by the sports industry, showing that cold water immersion bestows some athletic advantages.

Muscle Soreness and Dysfunction

In an experiment at Loughborough University in the UK, researchers ran 20 young males through an intense drill of intermittent shuttle runs, a 90 minute session “previously shown to result in marked muscle damage and soreness”. Half the group was assigned to partake in cold water immersion immediately afterwards in 10 ° C water (50 ° F) for 10 minutes. The control group received no treatment. At regular intervals for 7 days, they measured:

• Perceived muscle soreness

• Muscular function

• Efflux of intracellular proteins

The group that received cryotherapy (cold water immersion) reported less muscle soreness than the control group, and tested superiorly for certain signs of muscle damage. The researchers concluded: “The results suggest that cold-water immersion immediately after prolonged intermittent shuttle running reduces some indices of exercise-induced muscle damage. [1]”

Faster Recovery

Some studies have looked at how cold water therapy affects physical performance when used in between consecutive days of exercise. These include experimentation with treatment methods for players during a basketball tournament, and likewise between climbing sessions for experienced rock climbers.

The basketball tournament consisted of 29 males, mean age 19.1, playing for 3 days. The researchers aimed to see how different treatments affected performance in fitness tests such as vertical jump, sprints, and sit-and-reach flexibility. Out of three different treatments, they concluded: “Cold water immersion appears to promote better restoration of physical performance measures than carbohydrate + stretching routines and compression garments” [2].

The rock climbing experiment tested the performance of 13 females (mean age 27.1) who climbed an overhanging wall, twice, separated by 20 minutes of recovery. The recovery methods tested were:

Active Recovery – Riding a stationary bicycle.

Passive Recovery – Doing “nothing”, I presume.

Cold Water Immersion – The forearms and arms  were submerged (three periods of 5 min at 15 +/- 1 degrees C).

Electromyostimulation – The forearm muscles received a bisymmetric TENS current (a battery powered current commonly used to reduce perception of pain).

A number of trials over the course of several weeks showed that cold water immersion had a positive effect. The official conclusion was: “Active recovery and cold water immersion are two means of preserving performance when repeating acute exhausting climbing trails in female climbers. These positive effects are accompanied by a greater lactate removal and a decrease in subcutaneous tissues temperatures, respectively” [3].

Other Studies

Fitness Assessment (Soccer)

“In this study, we investigated the effect of water immersion on physical test performance and perception of fatigue/recovery during a 4-day simulated soccer tournament…. These results suggest that immediate post-match cold-water immersion does not affect physical test performance or indices of muscle damage and inflammation but does reduce the perception of general fatigue and leg soreness between matches in tournaments”.

Pre-Marathon Whole-Body Cold Shower

“To examine the effects of a prerace whole-body cold shower on muscle soreness (MS) and on serum creatine kinase (CK) and creatine kinase MB (CK-MB) isoenzyme activities, 16 experienced distance runners were randomly assigned to one of two treatment categories prior to running a marathon…. The results showed a marked (P < .05) difference between the cold shower group and the group without cold showers for CK-MB/CK ratio, and no difference for CK, CK-MB, and MS”.

Feel Better.

Ironically, I didn’t start taking cold showers because I knew they were healthy. It was just a moment of spontaneity one day when I was standing in the steaming hot water and for lack of a better word, realized I was “bored” with the consistent warmth. So I cranked up the cold water, and to my delight, it felt exhilarating. I started alternating between hot and cold on frequent occasion because it felt great and seemed to make me relaxed and refreshed throughout the day.

The Theory

Researcher Nikolai A. Shevchuk believes they are more powerful than mild mood boosters, actually capable of treating some cases of clinical depression. In his hypothesis, Adapted Cold Shower as a Potential Treatment for Depression, he proposed that many cases of depression are caused by a lack of “thermal stress”.

For millions of years, our ancestors were exposed to a wide range of temperatures that come with fluctuating ambient temperature and swimming and bathing in cold water. Modern man, however, often lives in a fairly consistent room temperature. Shevchuk proposes that this lack of thermal stress is one factor that contributes to depression. Another factor is a genetic overlay on the first; some people have a genetic predispostion to be affected more severely by the lack of thermal stress. He elaborates on the argument, informing that:

“Exposure to cold is known to activate the sympathetic nervous system and increase the blood level of beta-endorphin and noradrenaline and to increase synaptic release of noradrenaline in the brain as well. Additionally, due to the high density of cold receptors in the skin, a cold shower is expected to send an overwhelming amount of electrical impulses from peripheral nerve endings to the brain, which could result in an anti-depressive effect.”

Let’s highlight a couple benefits for all of the non-neuroscientists out there.

Increase Beta-endorphin: The neurotransmitter responsible for making us feel better immediately after an injury. It works by binding to and activating opioid receptors, dulling pain, and increasing feels of relaxation and well-being. Additionally, it slows the growth of cancer cells [1], and is thought to play a role in behavioral patterns (i.e. stress, alcoholism), obesity, diabetes, and psychiatric illness. [2]

Increase Noradrenaline: A hormone and neurotransmitter useful for treating ADD, depression, and abnormally low blood pressure. The ADD medication Straterra works solely by increasing noradrenaline levels. A class of antidepressants, called SNRIs, function partly by increasing noradrenaline levels. The body manufactures noradrenaline from amino acids found in protein sources such as meat, eggs, and nuts. [3]

The Procedure

The proposed treatment procedure would last several weeks to several months. It would consist of one or two cold showers a day at 20 ° C (68 ° F) for 2 to 3 minutes, proceeded by a 5 minute gradual adaptation to lessen the shock.

Additionally, contrary to drugs that affect these brain chemicals, cold showers do not appear to have significant side effects or addictive potential.

[1] http://www.lowdosenaltrexone.org/ldn_and_cancer.htm
[2] Physiology of beta-endorphins: a close-up view and a review of the literature
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norepinephrine

Once again, studies show at least some support for the popular wisdom. An experiment in Prague studied the effect of cold water immersions on athletic young men. They immersed them in water at 14 °C (57 °F), three times a week for six weeks. They concluded that the immersions activated the immune system “to a slight extent”.

Among many changes, they saw increased levels of two types of white blood cells: monocytes and lymphocytes. While certain lymphocytes are instrumental in eliminating bacteria, viruses, and toxins, monocytes are indirectly responsible for the engulfing and consuming of pathogens and foreign materials [2,3].

Considering these effects, it’s no surprise that mice exposed to 8 days of brief cold water stress survived significantly longer when exposed to the intracellular parasite, Toxoplasma gondii [4].

So, cold showers can help keep away the sniffles, but who knows what other nasty virus or pathogen you might also happen to ward off?

[1] Immune system of cold-exposed and cold-adapted humans.
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymphocyte
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monocyte
[4] Cold stress-induced modulation of cell immunity during acute Toxoplasma Gondii infection in mice.

Babies typically have a constitution of 5% brown fat. It is one of their main mechanisms for staying warm.

Many people report that they feel warmer throughout the day after taking a cold shower or bath. This could partly be due to enhanced circulation, but the stimulation of brown fat also seems a likely cofactor.

Brown fat is one of two types of fat in the body – the other being white fat, or what we normally just refer to as “body fat”. While white fat should be kept to a minimum, brown fat is beneficial because it helps burn calories and generate body heat. A study at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands revealed that obese people have less brown fat than lean people [1].

A cold shower could be a good way to stimulate the body’s supply of brown fat. A branch of the aforementioned university found that in men, exposure to chilly temperatures increased the metabolic rate of brown fat 15-fold. Sustaining this rate alone could help a person shed 9 pounds a year. Women typically have twice as much brown fat as men [1].

In a Chinese experiment involving voles exposed to a 5° C environment, they found that the “thermogenic capacity” of brown fat increased; the cold-exposed voles had a higher content of uncoupling protein 1 in their brown fat, increasing their ability to convert stored calories into heat [2].

However, in one small study of six men, the researchers did not find that their adaption to cold was facilitated by brown fat [3]. Hopefully future studies will find the most favorable conditions for activating brown fat and the precise benefits we can expect.

[1] Brown Fat: Don’t Try To Burn It
[2] Cold exposure does not decrease serum leptin concentration, but increases energy intake and thermogenic capacity in pregnant Brandt’s voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii).
[3] Effects of acclimitazation to cold baths on men’s responses to whole-body cooling in air.

1) Listen to your body.

When you exercise, you probably notice a point where you feel satisfied with your workout. Up to a point, exercising leaves us feeling energized throughout the day. But if overdone, it can cause persistent feelings of exhaustion and lethargy. Cold showers are the same way; a quick, cold shower should leave you feeling invigorated. But, too long and cold of a shower can leave one feeling chilled and sluggish. Always calibrate your application to invigorate, but not freeze yourself.

2) Do not use “ice cold” water.

You do not want to overstress your system with excessively cold water. Sebastion Kneipp, one of the founders of naturopathic medicine, utilized water anywhere from 50 °F to 68 °F. However, note that a shower can feel colder than its actual temperature.

3) Adjust duration to personal response.

In general, take shorter applications of colder water, and longer applications of warmer water. Again, use your body’s response as your gauge. You may need to work your way up to longer applications if just starting out. You can also adjust the duration to compensate for seasonal fluctuations in water temperature.

4) Curb the intensity if you are elderly or sick.

If you are not healthy, try progressively splashing water onto the body, or just applying cold water to one body part. Those susceptible to heart attacks should know that cold water can exacerbate stress on the heart, much like heavy exercise, and could potentially trigger heart attack or stroke. Only a doctor can say whether cold showers are compatible with your particular physiology.

It may help to think of the body as a heat engine. A typical heat engine utilizes a hot reservoir and a cold reservoir to run a motor, as in the diagram below. Only, instead of a motor, the body runs various metabolic processes.

Why Your Body is Warmer Than the Environment

Like a heat engine, the body must transfer heat to the environment. Even on a blistering hot day, we transfer latent heat to the air by sweating. Internal body temperature is the “hot reservoir” of the heat engine, while the “cold reservoir” is the air (or water) that surrounds the body. Without this transfer of heat, the energy of all our metabolic processes would have nowhere to go.

The key is that the metabolic output (W), equals the amount of heat flowing from the hot to cold reservoir. Taking a cold shower or bath forces you to burn more energy. And by estimating water temperature, you could calculate approximately how much.

In a 2.5 year experiment, rats of equal age were gradually accustomed to standing in cool water (at 23° C, 73° F) until they were standing in it 4 hours per day, 5 days per week. Even though the rats ingested 44% more food than the control group, their body weight was significantly lower. Incidentally, their lifespan was also slightly longer (by approximately 5%), and they had significantly fewer tumor formations [1].

This also trains your physiology to deal with colder temperatures, raising your resting metabolism. This is similar to the effect of physical exercise. The only difference is that while working out raises it through a direct stimulus to metabolism (through will power), showering in cold water is more of an indirect stimulus.

[1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3781978

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