Alternative hypothesis: The 79% who were able to complete the trial had already selected for 'grit', or folks who wouldn't skip a day's work for a minor ailment. To check, instead of just comparing the test group to the control group you would need to compare the test group to itself, before and during the cold shower period.
The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work (2016)
61–70 of 188 posts
Re: The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work (2016)
#62https://hbr.org/2018/03/cold-showers-lead-to-fewer-sick-days The link is an interview with the study author, and excerpts are below. This is the first high-level evidence showing that cold showers can benefit your health. People who took them for at least 30 seconds for one month called in sick 29% less than our control group — and 54% less if they also engaged in regular physical exercise. Participants who took the…
What does it mean to “activate fat?”
Re: The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work (2016)
#63I have been taking cold showers for a couple of years now. Although I wouldn't claim any health benefits since none have been proven, I will claim some other obvious benefits that everyone should consider.
Cold showers are unheated. Cheaper and better for the environment.
Cold showers seldom last longer than a few minutes, whereas hot showers are so comfortable that many people make them last way too long. Cheaper, better for the environment and for your time management.
Cold showers wake you up, whereas hot showers are more like extended snooze time.
Cold showers make you feel like a bad ass.
Secret tip: eat some breakfast before the shower, to crank up your engine.
Re: The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work (2016)
#64Alternative hypothesis: The 79% who were able to complete the trial had already selected for 'grit', or folks who wouldn't skip a day's work for a minor ailment. To check, instead of just comparing the test group to the control group you would need to compare the test group to itself, before and during the cold shower period.
In other words: correlation is not causation.
I remember I've heard looooong time ago they used a similar method in Siberia to make primary school students stronger. Not sure if that's still practiced. But that cold exposure strengthens the body always stayed with me. (and now we have Wim Hof)
Re: The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work (2016)
#65I've been taking cold showers exclusively for 11 years now. It doesn't get much easier but you'll get addicted to the great feeling after. It's similar to running or exercise, it sucks to do but you do it anyway because the benefits far outweigh the temporary discomfort. The trick for me was to never use warm shower again and never compromise ... only coldest water available counts. First thing in the morning. It mak…
How cold is cold for you normally? Our water is about four degrees celcius never mind what season it is. It just hurts, never really managed to stay more than a few seconds. Some people around here are hacking a hole in the ice and swimming for a while... Edit: Seems the test assumed 10-12 degrees average temperature in Netherlands.
There is a world of difference between 4°C and say 14-18°C, at 4°C you just don't get used to it really!
A good method may be to use a fine spray and start with legs, then arms then working up from the bottom to top of the torso. That way the blood gets more time to withdraw from the limbs into the torso to maintain the core temperature.
Re: The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work (2016)
#66I've been taking cold showers exclusively for 11 years now. It doesn't get much easier but you'll get addicted to the great feeling after. It's similar to running or exercise, it sucks to do but you do it anyway because the benefits far outweigh the temporary discomfort. The trick for me was to never use warm shower again and never compromise ... only coldest water available counts. First thing in the morning. It mak…
I did the same for 3 years, but mostly for environmental reasons. It is a very effective strategy to shave off a fair amount of your personal carbon footprint (next to not flying). As you say the rush after the shower is amazing! I stopped, because in winter (central European) there were days where I was cold all day and felt like I would never quite warm up again before going to bed. In summer, however, I still do i…
I'd like to give this a try: https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2019/10/mist-showers-sustain...
Re: The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work (2016)
#67The study explicitly says no reduced days of illness, just fewer days off. Means people were going in sick or worked harder? So there are no actual results on health in the short time they studied.
They probably just didn't feel like calling in sick after a cold shower
Exactly. Assuming they took a cold shower in the morning, sounds like this would wake them up in an aggressive way, probably raise their adrenaline level which made them less likely to call in sick. Once at work and levels wore off, you were already at work so you'll push through. Once you need to write things up, you have same day of sick days but more days when you were at work.
If there was a long term (day long) effect in reducing "feeling sick" there should be less sick days as people who are borderline sick start to feel fine and don't report being sick. But if your feeling is temporary, let's say 2 hours then you can get to work and after the fact report that you were sick.
Re: The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work (2016)
#68Someone knowledgeable please advise:
Do cryotherapy or cold showers increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in the long term?
"Tau phosphorylation is exquisitely sensitive to temperature, increasing by 80% for each degree below 37°C, due to exponential decrease in PP2A activity during direct hypothermia, or anesthesia-induced hypothermia."
This means that one might expect a significant increase in tau phosphorylation from modest decreases in body temperature, possibly leading to increased risk of Alzheimer's in the long run.
Re: The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work (2016)
#69Alternative hypothesis: The 79% who were able to complete the trial had already selected for 'grit', or folks who wouldn't skip a day's work for a minor ailment. To check, instead of just comparing the test group to the control group you would need to compare the test group to itself, before and during the cold shower period.
I can compare that on myself - I was very often sick (with common colds and such) and it got slowly better after I started cold showering regularly.
Cold swimming (which should include showering with cold water if you follow guidelines) is not exceptional here and people do report improvements in immunity. That is common reason for starting it - you are often sick and this is last desperate attempt to make it better after more pleasant methods did not worked.
Re: The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work (2016)
#70I've been taking cold showers exclusively for 11 years now. It doesn't get much easier but you'll get addicted to the great feeling after. It's similar to running or exercise, it sucks to do but you do it anyway because the benefits far outweigh the temporary discomfort. The trick for me was to never use warm shower again and never compromise ... only coldest water available counts. First thing in the morning. It mak…
I take cold showers every 5th day, timed with my cardio workouts so I get in the cold shower after working up a sweat. I used to take them every 4th day. I agree on the benefits you describe, though not up for only cold showers.
I haven't been able to communicate the benefits to people who don't get it or won't try, but to people who get it, few things match the benefit, given zero cost in time, money, or other resource. Actually, more like negative cost in time, money, power, and emissions relative to
We're getting into the most difficult time of year. My record low cold shower temperature was 39.9F (4.4C), when I was taking them minimum 5 minutes.
I got into the habit through HN, in particular from Joel Runyon's video and page on cold showers, which I recommend, especially his TEDx talk, which is on this link:
https://impossiblehq.com/cold-shower-therapy-guide
(My notes on cold showers: http://joshuaspodek.com/cold-showers-rock)