Exploring Cold Plunge Benefits: Hype or healthspan enhancer?

When you think of cold therapy, you may think of ice baths or cold showers, which are the most common forms. Cold plunges, ice baths, and cold showers can offer many of the same benefits, such as mood enhancement, muscle recovery, and stress reduction. These cold water immersion methods are widely used in sports medicine to aid recovery and improve performance for athletes and active individuals. These methods involve immersing your body in temperatures between 45-60 °F for 30 seconds up to several minutes. Cryotherapy—a newer, more extreme form of cold therapy that uses chilled air instead of water—involves stepping into a chamber and exposing your body to extreme temperatures of -140 to -160 °F for only a couple of minutes while wearing gloves and socks to protect your extremities. 

While the idea of stepping into a chilly shower may sound like a shock to the system, this simple practice may offer a wide range of health benefits.

Cold water constricts blood vessels, which reduces circulation to the area and is effective at reducing inflammation. During cold exposure, blood vessels tighten, a process known as vasoconstriction. Some research also indicates that cold exposure may facilitate the delivery of more oxygen to the muscles, a strategy adopted by sports teams during halftime to bolster athletic performance for the game’s second half [5, 6]. Cold therapy can also help alleviate delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) by reducing inflammation and improving recovery.

Through the suppression of inflammation, cold exposure also activates the immune system, releasing white blood cells to protect against and fight infection [ 7, 8]. One study found that participants who included a blast of cold water at the end of their showers (as little as 30 seconds) had 29% fewer sick days than those who only took hot showers [9]. When combined with regular physical activity, hot-to-cold showers also resulted in a 54% reduction in sick days [9]. Research also suggests that regular cold water immersion may be associated with a lower incidence of upper respiratory tract infections, with some studies indicating potential immune benefits for cold-water swimmers compared to non-swimmers.

Research has found that cold-water immersion of 57.2 degrees C increased dopamine levels by 250% [10]. Dopamine is the “feel-good” hormone that plays an important role in memory, mood, motivation, and focus and plays a primary role in the reward system [11, 12]. Cold water immersion can also provide a significant mood boost due to increased dopamine and endorphin release.

Brown fat (a healthy type of fat tissue found in different areas of our upper body) helps maintain body temperature and body heat by breaking down sugar and fat molecules to generate heat, especially during cold exposure. When exposed to thermal stress, such as cold water immersion or cold air, the body's physiological response includes activating brown fat and increasing metabolism to generate heat and protect our organs in a process known as non-shivering thermogenesis (NST). Activating NST through cold exposure can elevate metabolism up to 30 percent [13]. Cold temperature exposure also increases adiponectin, a protein hormone that regulates glucose levels and insulin sensitivity and has been shown to boost metabolism [14, 15].

Cold exposure releases cold shock proteins (stress proteins that are activated by cold), which provide neuroprotective effects [16]. Increasing levels of cold shock protein, RNA-binding motif 3 (RBM3), an RNA-binding protein involved in neural protection and regeneration, protects against cognitive deficits and neuronal loss in Alzheimer-type mice [17]. This research spotlights the therapeutic potential of cold shock pathways in treating neurodegeneration disorders.

Cold plunges don’t just wake you up—they have far-reaching effects on your body’s major organ systems. When you immerse yourself in cold water, your immune system gets a boost, ramping up the production of white blood cells and releasing anti-inflammatory cytokines that help defend against illness. The cardiovascular system also responds, with the cold shock response causing blood vessels to tighten and blood pressure to rise temporarily. Meanwhile, your nervous system releases neurotransmitters like noradrenaline and dopamine, which can lead to a positive mood and reduced stress—one reason many people report mental health benefits from regular cold water immersion. Research suggests that cold plunging may also improve insulin sensitivity and help reduce inflammation, supporting overall health and longevity. However, if you have any medical conditions, especially those affecting your heart or circulation, it’s important to consult a healthcare professional before starting a cold plunge routine to ensure it’s safe for you.

Cold also activates the proteasome, a protein complex that degrades damaged or unnecessary proteins. The proteasome is associated with several age-related diseases, including Huntington’s disease [18]. Loss of proteostasis is a highly relevant aging hallmark (one of 12) that involves proteasomal dysfunction.

Studies on model organisms have also shown that life expectancy increased when body temperature was lowered [19]. The same study also reported that human body temperature had decreased by 0.03 degrees °C per decade since the Industrial Revolution, which suggests a possible link between body temperature and the increase in human life expectancy.

Additionally, cold water immersion can trigger the release of red blood cells, improving oxygen delivery throughout the body. This physiological response, along with the potential reduction of body adipose tissue, may offer protective effects against cardiovascular disease.

Want to experience the benefits of cold therapy for yourself? Discover our evidence-based tips to integrate this time-honored practice into your current health routine:

For a practical home cold plunge, fill your bathtub halfway with cold water and add ice cubes to create an ice water bath. Start with warmer water (around 20°C or 68°F) and gradually progress to colder or lower temperatures, as studies have shown benefits across a range of temperatures tested (from 14°C to 32°C). Always enter the very cold water slowly to allow your body to acclimate and avoid cold shock. Winter swimming is another related practice that involves exposure to cold water during the winter season, offering similar health and adaptation benefits.

It’s important to start slowly and ramp up gradually, starting with a shorter exposure period and cool temperatures and then increasing exposure time until you reach 2-3 minutes. Beginners can start with water at around 20°C (68°F) as a moderate and safe entry point, then drop the water temperature by one degree each week, aiming for between 50-59 °F. And remember, even a 30-second blast of cold water at the end of your shower provides benefits [9].

Placing your face in a bowl of ice cold water also triggers the mammalian dive reflex, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system, lowering heart rate and reducing feelings of stress and anxiety [20]. This simple practice could help you find your calm. 

Cold exposure after strength training may blunt the normal immune response that’s needed to build muscle strength [21]. While cold can ease muscle soreness and aid in recovery [22], using cold exposure or ice baths immediately after strength training may inhibit muscle growth. If your goal is muscle development, timing is important—cold exposure may be best left to rest days or before workouts. More broadly, it may be best to avoid cold plunging directly after exercise unless part of a planned recovery regimen.

If you’re looking to further enhance thermogenesis to boost metabolism, fish oil (specifically, the EPA within fish oil) has been shown to decrease the accumulation of fat by 15-20% in mice when combined with cold [23]. Alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG) and resveratrol (two ingredients found in our daily longevity supplement, Vitality) were also shown to increase brown fat thermogenesis [24, 25]. 

While cold plunge is safe for most healthy individuals, it’s important to note that cold therapy may not be right for everyone and could impair exercise gains if done after intense exercise. If you are dealing with cardiovascular issues, nerve damage, Reynaud’s syndrome, neuropathy, or other health issues, you should consult your doctor before attempting a cold plunge. It is especially important to consider risk factors such as high blood pressure, as these can affect how your body responds to cold exposure.

Tally Health is your partner in longevity, offering easy-to-follow, scientifically grounded tips to help foster a lifestyle that makes living healthier, longer more achievable for everyone. Tally Health members also receive unique lifestyle tips based on their unique DNA methylation profile designed to help them lower their epigenetic age.