The Benefits Of Cold Therapy
April 18, 2023
Author: Megan Hoying
Editor: Carolyn Berryman and Maddie Canter
A new health trend everyone has been talking about is cold therapy. Cold therapy (or cryotherapy) is an old practice that forces your body to adapt to the extreme temperature change. The vasoconstriction, or narrowing of your arteries, from the shock of the cold directs blood to organs and other areas of needed recovery. Cold therapy can be achieved in many different ways: a cold shower, ice baths, cold plunge, whole-body cryotherapy, and more. The most accessible cold therapy for college students is, of course, the cold shower. Cold therapy has been trending on Tik Tok and podcasts, but are there actual health benefits to cold therapy?
It may boost your immune system.
Showering in the cold can shock your system, and can even stimulate leukocytes, a type of white blood cell in your body. Leukocytes fight off infection, so when you take a cold shower and these cells are stimulated, they are more ready to fight off common colds and illnesses.
Cold therapy can increase metabolism.
When your body reaches cold temperatures, you will start shivering. Brown fat activates at cold temperatures, right before you start shivering. Taking a cold shower will cause brown cells to generate heat by burning fat and calories.
It can reduce inflammation.
Exposure to cold causes blood vessels in your body to constrict, which reduces blood flow to certain areas, decreasing overall inflammation. This reduction in inflammation can also prevent muscle soreness after a workout, decreasing recovery time.
It may boost your mood.
Studies have shown that taking cold showers can increase dopamine by 250%. This dopamine increases mood and alertness throughout the day. In addition, there is limited research on cold therapy combats symptoms of depression over time.
It may enhance recovery from exercise.
Many athletes are now using cold therapy to reduce soreness after a workout. Cold therapy stimulates blood flow throughout the body. This increased circulation improves the amount of oxygen rich blood going to areas of soreness and inflammation. Ultimately decreasing the amount of time your muscles need to recover after a workout.
More and more research is coming out proving the benefits of cold therapy. Next time you step into the shower, think of the benefits of a cold shower. It may be worth it to bear through the pain of a cold shower.
Resources:
6 cold shower benefits to consider | UCLA health. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17, 2023, from https://www.uclahealth.org/news/6-cold-shower-benefits-consider
Bedosky, L., Upham, B., Lawler, M., Levine, B., Bedosky, L., Rapaport, L., & Kwan, N. (n.d.). Cold water therapy: A beginner's guide to ice baths and more. EverydayHealth.com. Retrieved April 17, 2023, from https://www.everydayhealth.com/wellness/cold-water-therapy/guide/
Cryotherapy cold therapy for pain management. Cryotherapy Cold Therapy for Pain Management | Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2019, November 19). Retrieved April 17, 2023, from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/cryotherapy-cold-therapy-for-pain-management
