People around the world have been using h2o therapy, or hydrotherapy, for centuries. The temperature of the water they use may accept different benefits for health.

About studies into the health benefits of common cold and hot water have used water immersion therapy. During water immersion therapy, a person immerses their trunk, or a part of their torso, in a vat of water for a specified amount of fourth dimension.

This commodity outlines the results of such studies, including the potential health benefits and risks of cold and hot showers.

an infographic showing the the possible effects on the body of cold showers and hot showers

Although taking a common cold shower may not be a pleasant experience, information technology can provide certain health benefits. Ane 2014 review, for example, suggests that cold water tin can:

  • decrease inflammation and swelling
  • decrease muscle spasms
  • have pain-relieving furnishings

An older study, this time from 2000, investigated the furnishings of dissimilar water temperatures on bodily reactions. In the cold h2o status, the researchers submerged participants in 57.2°F (14°C) water for 1 hour. The participants experienced the following effects (some of which may non necessarily exist beneficial to wellness):

  • increased metabolism
  • increased centre charge per unit and claret force per unit area
  • increased levels of the neurochemicals dopamine and norepinephrine
  • lower levels of cortisol, the "stress hormone"

Some beneficial effects of cold water immersion include:

Improved circulation

Exposure to cold water causes the blood vessels on the surface of the peel to constrict. This diverts claret menses away from the surface of the skin. In fact, one pocket-sized 2019 study found that taking a cold shower after exercise may improve general hydration by cooling down the body.

As blood travels away from the skin, blood vessels in deeper body tissues dilate. This improves circulation in the deeper tissues.

Lower cortisol levels

Cortisol is the "fight-or-flight" hormone that the body releases in response to stress.

Lowering cortisol levels in the blood may therefore assist reduce stress levels. Researchers annotation that when people immerse themselves in a bath of cold water, their cortisol levels driblet.

Reduced pain

According to a 2014 review, cold h2o exposure triggers an automatic pain response called stress-induced analgesia (SIA).

SIA is a reduced pain response during or following exposure to a stressful stimulus, such equally cold water immersion.

Reduced sports-related musculus soreness and fatigue

Ane older report from 2009 tested the effects of cold water immersion on physical performance among athletes. Following sports, some of the athletes received cold water immersion, while others received tepid h2o immersion.

The researchers did not discover any differences in subsequent physical operation betwixt the ii groups, nor did they find whatsoever differences in the amount of musculus damage or inflammation the participants experienced.

However, perceptions of muscle soreness and general fatigue were significantly lower in the group that received the common cold water immersion. This psychological effect could prove beneficial during competitive sports.

Hot showers may also take beneficial effects for health. Some examples of the potential health benefits include:

Improved cardiovascular health

As one 2014 review of hydrotherapy notes, warm water bathing appears to improve blood flow in people with chronic centre failure. This is due to a natural widening of the blood vessels when exposed to high temperatures.

A 2012 study explored the effects of warm h2o immersion on arterial stiffness, which occurs when the arteries within the torso become less flexible. Arterial stiffness plays a major part in the cardiovascular condition atherosclerosis, which tin lead to high blood force per unit area.

The study found that participants who submerged their feet and lower legs in warm water for thirty minutes showed reduced arterial stiffness. Participants who did not receive warm water immersion did not show this effect.

Improved muscle and joint wellness

As mentioned above, hot showers can enhance blood flow, helping soothe stiff joints and tired muscles. Cold showers, meanwhile, tin can reduce inflammation and assist numb pain.

One 2017 written report investigated the effect of hot and common cold therapies on knee osteoarthritis. The researchers divided 96 participants into three groups. A command group received only standard osteoarthritis treatment. The two other groups received standard osteoarthritis treatment along with either heat therapy or cold therapy.

The rut therapy group applied rut to the afflicted knee twice daily for 3 weeks, while the cold therapy group applied cold to the affected genu twice daily for 3 weeks.

At the end of the study, both groups showed a mild reduction in pain and a mild comeback in knee function. However, these effects were not significantly stronger than those the control group experienced.

Improved brain health

1 2018 study investigated the furnishings of hot water immersion on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF is a protein that has several of import functions in the encephalon and spinal cord, including:

  • promoting the survival of nerve cells
  • promoting the growth, maturation, and maintenance of nerve cells
  • promoting learning and memory

The report was pocket-size, involving just viii men. One group took a 20-minute bath in hot water with a temperature of 107.6°F (42°C). The other group took a twenty-infinitesimal bath in warm h2o with a temperature of 95°F (35°C).

Participants who took the hot bath had significantly higher BDNF levels. The researchers concluded that hyperthermia induced by the hot bath increased the production of BDNF.

Improved sleep

Organizations such every bit the National Heart, Lung, and Claret Institute recommend taking a hot shower or bath before bed as a way to improve sleep.

A hot shower may amend slumber quality due to the combination of how the trunk relaxes while bathing and the fall in body temperature afterward.

Doctors sometimes recommend oestrus or cold therapy for people with muscle or bone injuries. Nevertheless, it is not nonetheless clear whether or non a cold or hot shower has the same benefits as applying an water ice or heating pad.

Some people with arthritis enjoy hot showers in the forenoon because it helps them feel mobile. However, cold showers are beneficial for injuries accompanied past inflammation.

For taking a hot shower to improve slumber, a 2019 study establish that the all-time fourth dimension to take a shower or bath was 1–ii hours before sleeping.

People with eczema and other rashes should avoid hot showers altogether, as these can further dry out the skin.

Long baths or showers that are too cold or likewise hot could excessively lower or raise a person's body temperature.

If a person'south body temperature drops below 89.96°F (32.2°C), a person may experience:

  • a decreased breathing rate
  • a drop in blood pressure level
  • heartbeat irregularities
  • decreased consciousness

If the h2o is besides hot, people are at risk of burns and rut stroke.

Equally long as a person avoids extreme temperatures, taking cold and hot showers tin provide certain health benefits. Hydrotherapy is generally a safe strategy and does not cause dependence or any noticeable side furnishings.

Further studies will be necessary to investigate and confirm the long-term effects of taking cold and hot showers.

Most of the enquiry into the health furnishings of cold and hot water has involved immersion therapy. Studies seem to suggest that both common cold and hot temperatures tin can have beneficial, but differing, furnishings on the body.

Information technology is not clear if taking a shower produces the same effects as immersion therapy. If it does, a person should consider the type of effects they desire to achieve earlier deciding whether to take a cold or hot shower.

As with water immersion therapies, taking a cold or hot shower is likely to exist rubber. Nonetheless, people should avoid taking extremely cold or extremely hot showers, equally doing so could be harmful to health.