Can losing weight be as simple as taking a cold shower each day?
Cold showers, just the word can send chills down your spine, if you are reading this early in the winter morning.
But we have something that can convert your fear of cold showers into reasons to wake up every morning.
Wondering what it could be?
Well, there are many cold shower benefits that experts have been exploring.
There has been much evidence supporting cold showers as a worthy treatment for obesity and excess weight gains.
From beauty treatments to a helpful workout cooler, cold showers are a favorite among celebs and professional athletes.
And, from now onwards, we bet it will be your favorite too, as the cold shower has successfully won the hearts of the fitness freaks.
But are these claims actually true? Or just another hot trend luring you in with its big fat promises?
Let’s find out do cold showers boost metabolism or have any real weight loss benefits.
Cold Showers And Metabolism – The Link To Weight Loss
Cold showers are not something that people usually like including in their morning rituals.
After all, will you actually want to blast up your bathroom with a storm of chilly water?
Hell no!
But, on the off chance, if you’re following a strict weight loss regime, you’ll be fascinated with the results cold water can give you.
Sounds exciting, right?
How can a plunge in cold water have a connection to weight loss?
Well, cold water definitely has no direct links with weight loss, but metabolism has.
And the whole idea of cold showers promoting weight loss arises from its effect on your metabolism.
Do Cold Showers Boost Metabolism?
Yes! Cold Showers can play a massive role in boosting your metabolism.
Now, that might make you curious about how showering can be anywhere near to boosting metabolism?
You might also think of it as a joke.
But before you ask questions like how can cold showers boost metabolism, have a look at the following research.
Cold Shower Benefits: Studies and Evidence
You might think cold showers or cold therapy is a new trend in the weight loss industry.
But actually, it has been around for decades.
There has also been good research about cold-induced thermogenesis.
The studies have been both in animals and humans to explore and establish the link between cold exposure and metabolism.
We put forward two of the greatest studies in history to explain the same:
#1. Study 1
A study was conducted on mice exposed to 4° C for around 1 to 8 hours thrice a week.
The study reported results like:
- Increase in metabolism
- Boost in blood sugar response
However, no weight loss was reported as the mice ate a lot to compensate for the energy lost.
#2. Study 2
The second study was conducted on humans where young men were immersed into water of various temperatures like:
- -32° C, 20° C, and 14° C for one hour
Post this, several factors were put to test to put forward the results.
The results noted under the cold temperatures showed:
- Boost in metabolism by 93% at 63° F
- Metabolism Increase by 350% at 57° F
#3. Study 3
A study was conducted back in 2019 taking under consideration 8 men and 9 women.
The participants were exposed to cold temperature once every 10 days.
Though the temperature was not very cold, it was enough to stimulate responses.
On noting down the results, it was found that:
- The energy expenditure in both men and women had increased.
- There was a boost in non-shivering thermogenesis.
- An increase in the brown tissue.
So, do cold showers boost metabolism?
Yes, all these factors definitely contribute to an increase in metabolism.
The above data clearly marks out the ability of cold water to reignite your slow metabolism. However, the persistent question here is, how is that even possible?
What could be the mechanism behind it?
How Do Cold Showers Increase Metabolism?
Cold showers work towards activating different physiological responses.
These changes further contribute to a boost in metabolism leading to the current theory of weight loss.
#1. Body Mechanisms
Humans have evolved from an era of zero technology to the modern amenities that you see today.
Instead of being around the air conditioning or the air blowers, earlier humans survived on hot grasslands and cold tunas.
This led to our bodies developing adaptive mechanisms to cope up with adverse conditions.
Cold exposure is one of such adverse conditions that led to some adaptive changes, which prove to be helpful in cold therapy.
1. Shivering To Stay Warm
Whenever you’re without a coat on an early winter morning, you’ll find yourself shivering.
This shivering is nothing but a metabolic process of boosting thermogenesis.
Shivering causes heat generation that keeps your body temperature normal and prevents you from succumbing to cold exposure.
The increase in heat further boosts your metabolism.
Though shivering thermogenesis is a potent metabolism booster, the other adaptive change accounts for the more lasting benefits.
2. Keeping Your Body Warm Without Shivering
Your body doesn’t just keep you warm by making you shiver.
It has got another special mechanism of fueling heat for your body.
This special mechanism involves brown fat, which is a type of fat tissue present in your body.
Brown fat is a type of adipose tissue that derives heat from food. It feeds the heat in your body without making you shiver.
Hence, it actually acts as a secret weapon to keep you warm without making you lose energy through shivering.
#2. Converting Your White Fat Into Brown Fat
According to researchers, the higher the amount of brown fat your body has, the better your metabolism will be.
This is because of the high number of mitochondria present in the brown fat.
These mitochondria contain a special type of protein, the uncoiling protein 1 that produces energy in the form of heat.
In simple words, the mitochondria in brown fat promote thermogenesis and, consequently, higher metabolism.
However, our body mostly has the white form of fat and lesser brown fat.
That’s where the cold bath benefits kick in, converting your white fat into brown adipose fat.
#3. Better Secretion of Norepinephrine
The cold shower benefits are not just limited to adaptive changes, it goes beyond that to induce hormonal changes.
When your body is exposed to cold temperatures, it also regulates the functions of an important hormone, norepinephrine.
The norepinephrine functions as a hormone as well as a neurotransmitter in your body providing benefits like:
- Better mood
- Alertness
- Focus
- Arousal
It further signals your body to activate brown fat to release energy in the form of heat.
All of this occurs by the cold temperature signaling your nervous system to dump norepinephrine around your fat cells.
This further causes the cells to burn more fat and release energy.
All of these factors come together to push your metabolism several steps ahead channelizing many health benefits.
However, the major concern that we have here is, is the metabolism enough to cause weight loss?
Let us find out.
Is The Metabolism Boost Enough To Cut Down Weight?
We already know that cold showers can boost metabolism. But does it also cause weight loss?
To establish the cold shower benefits in science concerning weight loss, we need to scroll back to the study conducted with mice.
Although we saw improvement in the metabolism and sugar levels of these mice post the study, we didn’t see any improvements in their weight management.
However, this was mainly because of the excess food they gorged on to compensate for the energy loss.
Even if we are to leave this study out of the equation, cold therapy improving the brown adipose tissue in your body is a positive sign for weight loss.
In fact, according to a popular journal, increasing brown fat is one of the effective ways of losing weight.
This makes us conclude that cold therapy can actually be used to lose weight if you have control over your meal portion sizes.
But how much cold is enough to induce such benefits?
Cold Shower In The Morning For Metabolism Boost
What Is The Best Temperature Range For A Healthy Metabolism?
According to studies, one hour of 68° F cold temperature caused a 93% increase in metabolism.
While exposure to 57° F was able to turn it up by 350%.
Hence, the latter temperature is what we suppose to be most beneficial.
However, if you plan on going for cold steam, it mainly begins at around 15° C (60° F).
For instance, people, when exposed to 60°F for 6 hours for 10 days, showed an increase in energy expenditure as well as the formation of brown tissue.
Wrapping Up
Although cold exposure has many benefits for your body including better metabolism, the effects are actually not that significant.
You would have to spend a good amount of time in the water to reap out the maximum benefits.
And what could be this good amount?
According to studies, people who spend 2 hours a day in 18-degree temperature had only a weight loss of half a kg in 6 long weeks.
Further, it might also up your appetite, and, hence, you’ll have to take care of your cravings to prevent weight gain.
Having said that, having a cold shower will definitely add to your weight loss efforts with a healthy diet and exercise program. So, hop in the cold water now and then.
Plus, you can also try other ways to boost metabolism along with having cold showers for added benefits.
Since you’re now aware of the glorious benefits of a cold shower, we bet you are ready for a 30-day cold shower challenge?
FAQs
Here are the answers to some questions before you try cold showers for weight loss.
#1. Do cold showers help lose belly fat?
Cold showers can help cut down belly fat if you choose not to binge over your fav meals.
It helps in activating the brown adipose fat and muscles. When they get activated, they release hormones like irisin and FGF21.
These hormones further help in burning the white fat, which usually accumulates around your waist and belly.
#2. How often should you shower with cold water?
Though there’s no such rule to follow when taking showers, experts suggest that taking showers several times a week can work well for most people.
Short showers can also work well and you don’t have to focus on the rules of showering.
#3. Which is the best way to take a cold shower?
The best way to take a cold shower is by taking up the habit slowly.
Start by lowering the temperature of the water at the end of your usual showers.
Cold the water to a level where you start feeling uncomfortable. Then, stay underneath the water for 2 to 3 minutes. Increase the time with every shower.
#4. What are the cold shower benefits for athletes?
The best benefit of a cold shower for athletes is the good circulation that it offers.
As cold water touches various parts of your body, it causes the constriction of blood flow to those parts’ surface.
This causes an increase in the circulation of blood in the deeper parts of the body.
#5. What are the benefits of taking cold showers?
There are many benefits of taking a cold shower:
- Cold showers benefit skin – It calms your itchy skin.
- Awakening punch – It causes a shock that improves oxygen intake and heart rate.
- Reduces muscle soreness – It relaxes your muscles.