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Ice baths and hot and cold showers are advocated to increase immune function, reduce inflammation and blood pressure, and improve recovery. Some new research suggests that ice baths can even be used to treat obesity. Many professional athletes will use cold therapy and hot showers after intense workouts to reduce stiff muscles and muscle damage to accelerate recovery. Cold temperatures constrict blood vessels and reduce inflammation, much like taking Aleve or NSAIDS.
SUMMARY OF ICE BATHS FOR FAT LOSS
- Ice baths for fat loss have not been proven to reduce body fat.
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Cold exposure does increase BAT and calories burned, but the studies suggest you need to be exposed to cold exposure for > hour.
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The small amount of increase in BAT activation will likely cause a trivial difference in losses in body fat.
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Cold therapy has many potential health benefits, but using cold exposure to reduce body fat is not warranted.
ICE BATHS FOR FAT LOSS
Ice baths and hot and cold showers are advocated to increase immune function, reduce inflammation and blood pressure, and improve recovery. Some new research suggests that ice baths can even be used to treat obesity.
Many professional athletes will use cold therapy and hot showers after intense workouts to reduce stiff muscles and muscle damage to accelerate recovery. Cold temperatures constrict blood vessels and reduce inflammation, much like taking Aleve or NSAIDS.
DO COLD SHOWERS HELP OUT WITH SORE MUSCLES
Hot water causes an increase in blood, whereas cold showers reduce body temperature and inhibit blood flow. As you will read below, contrast shower benefits athletes more psychologically than physically.
One study found that hot and cold water showers (1 minute each) consisting of 38 degrees Celsius and 15 degrees Celsius after intense exercise were associated with improved well-being (i.e., athletes felt better), but this did not reduce muscle damage.
A 2017 review of the literature of 23 studies also found that cold and hot showers did not reduce muscle damage after exercise (Higgins et al., 2017; Juliff et al., 2014)
ICE BATHS FOR FAT LOSS: COLD TEMPERATURES INCREASE BROWN ADIPOSE TISSUE
There are three types of adipose tissue: white, brown, and beige. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is rich in mitochondria and results in more calories burned than other adipose tissue. BAT burns extra calories to keep you warm during cold exposure. BAT decreases as we age.
Many have suggested that increasing cold exposure increases calorie burning and lose weight. The number of calories burned from cold exposure varies from person to person, but most studies suggest a 15% increase. (Trexler et al., 2017; van Marken Lichtenbelt & Schrauwen, 2011)
Here are the studies looking at cold exposure and calories burned:
Study 1: Researchers examined brown fat in Scandinavian men who practiced cold dips in water followed by a hot sauna. The researchers look at calories burned, bodyfat%, etc. The researchers measured the number of calories burned at normal temperatures and during cold exposure (i.e., 195 minutes). The winter swimmers had lower body fat than the controls (12% for winter swimmers vs. 18% for controls).
