Cold-water immersion — such as sitting in an ice bath, wading into a lake in the winter, or taking a cold shower — has become increasingly popular in recent years. But is there any benefit to these bone-chilling practices?

New research suggests yes, with possible benefits ranging from lower stress to improved sleep and quality of life.

However, researchers caution that some of the benefits are short-term and depend on who is performing the cold therapy and what method they are using.

“Cold-water immersion has been extensively researched and used in sporting contexts to help athletes recover, but despite its growing popularity among health and wellbeing circles, little is known about its effects on the general population,” said study author Tara Cain, a researcher at University of South Australia (UniSA), in a press statement.

Possible benefits of cold water therapy
The new paper, published January 29 in PLoS OneTrusted Source, carried out a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of 11 previous studies involving 3,177 healthy adult participants.

In those studies, participants were immersed in water at or above chest level for 30 seconds up to two hours, with water temperatures ranging from 7°C to 15°C (45°F to 59°F).

Researchers focused on the following outcomes:

sleep
stress
fatigue
energy
skin health
immunity
inflammation
mental well-being
depression
anxiety
mood
concentration
alertness or focus
Their analysis showed a range of time-dependent results. For example, cold-water immersion reduced stress levels only during the 12 hours after people were exposed to the cold.

In addition, people who took 30-, 60- or 90-second cold showers for 30 days reported a slightly higher quality of life. But these effects faded after three months.