Cold Therapy

Articles tagged with "Cold Therapy".

Resting Heart Rate Affects Heart Response to Cold-water Facial

Tags: Cardiovascular Health, Cold Therapy, Evidence-Based Medicine

January 16, 2026

Does Your Baseline Heart Rate Predict Your Diving Reflex Response?

Yes. This study of 65 healthy volunteers found that your resting heart rate strongly predicts how your heart responds to cold water facial immersion. People with lower minimum heart rates at rest showed stronger cardiodepressive (heart-slowing) responses during the simulated diving test.

The diving response varies dramatically between individuals. Some people experience mild heart slowing, while others may have bradycardia below 30 beats per minute or even brief asystole (heart stopping). This 2023 study from Medical University of Gdansk explored whether baseline heart rate characteristics could help predict these responses.

Sleep and Cognition

Tags: Cardiovascular Health, Immune Function, Cold Therapy, Drug Therapy

January 16, 2026

Does Cold Exposure Hurt Your Thinking Ability?

Yes. This systematic review of 18 studies found that cold exposure impairs thinking ability in 15 out of 18 studies. The impairment happens even before dangerous hypothermia sets in, affecting attention, memory, processing speed, and decision-making.

Researchers from Italy and Austria searched three major medical databases. They included only studies that tested healthy adults in controlled cold environments. They excluded studies where other factors like exercise, noise, or high altitude might confuse the results.

Systematic Review: Effects of Cold Exposure on Cognitive Performance

Tags: Neurology, Exercise Recovery, Cold Therapy, Research Review

January 16, 2026

Can Cold Air or Cold Water Affect Your Brain Function?

Yes. This 2021 systematic review found that in 15 of 18 studies, cold exposure caused measurable drops in thinking ability. Attention, memory, processing speed, and executive function were all affected, and the impairment happened before body temperature dropped to dangerous levels.

Researchers analyzed studies from 1975 to 2021 that tested healthy adults in controlled cold environments. Eight studies used cold air chambers (temperatures from -10°C to 10°C), while ten studies used cold water immersion (temperatures from 4.7°C to 15°C).

Systematic Review/meta-analysis: Postexercise Cwi and Resistance

Tags: Exercise Recovery, Cold Therapy, Research Review, Evidence-Based Medicine

January 16, 2026

Do Ice Baths After Weight Training Hurt Muscle Growth?

Yes. This meta-analysis of 8 studies found that cold water immersion immediately after resistance training likely reduces muscle growth. The effect appears to be at least small in magnitude and applies to both trained and untrained individuals.

Researchers combined data from all available studies comparing resistance training alone versus resistance training followed by cold water immersion. While ice baths may help with short-term recovery, they appear to work against your long-term muscle-building goals.

Systematic Reviews, Evidence Maps, and Big-picture Overviews

Tags: Mental Health, Neurology, Immune Function, Cold Therapy

January 16, 2026

Does Cold Water Immersion Actually Improve Health and Wellbeing?

Yes, but the effects depend on timing and what you’re measuring. This 2025 meta-analysis of 11 randomized trials (3,177 participants) found cold water immersion significantly reduces stress at 12 hours, improves sleep quality, and reduces sick days by 29%. However, it also triggers short-term inflammation and shows no immediate stress relief.

Cold water immersion has exploded in popularity. Amazon ice bath sales jumped from less than 1,000 units in November 2022 to over 90,000 units just 12 months later. But does the science support the hype? This comprehensive review examined what actually happens when healthy adults take cold showers or ice baths.

Trigeminal Cardiac Reflex and Cerebral Blood Flow Regulation Review

Tags: Cardiovascular Health, Cold Therapy, Surgery, Research Review

January 16, 2026

Does the Trigeminal Cardiac Reflex Affect Blood Flow to the Brain?

Yes. This review shows that stimulating facial nerves triggers a powerful reflex that changes both heart rate and blood flow to the brain. When researchers activated this reflex in rats using jaw extension, they observed blood pressure drops and prolonged dilation of brain blood vessels lasting up to 3 hours.

The trigeminal cardiac reflex (TCR) is a well-known phenomenon in surgery. When facial nerves are stimulated, heart rate and blood pressure drop. This review explores something less understood: how this reflex also affects blood flow to the brain.

Trigeminocardiac Reflex: Comparison with the Diving Reflex

Tags: Cardiovascular Health, Cold Therapy, Surgery, Evidence-Based Medicine

January 16, 2026

Are the Trigeminocardiac Reflex and Diving Reflex the Same Thing?

They’re closely related but not identical. Both reflexes slow the heart through the trigeminal nerve, but the diving reflex raises blood pressure while the trigeminocardiac reflex lowers it. This review proposes they’re actually two versions of the same ancient oxygen-conserving mechanism.

When cold water hits your face, your heart rate drops. When a surgeon touches certain facial nerves, the same thing happens. These similar responses have long puzzled scientists. This 2015 review from researchers in France and Canada explores how these reflexes are connected and what they mean for human health.

Open Water Swimming as a Treatment for Major Depressive Disorder

Tags: Mental Health, Cold Therapy, Case Study, Evidence-Based Medicine

January 16, 2026

Can Cold Water Swimming Help Treat Depression?

Yes. In this case study, a 24-year-old woman with treatment-resistant depression stopped taking antidepressants after 4 months of weekly open water swimming. One year later, she remained medication-free and symptom-free.

This woman had struggled with major depression since age 17. Two different antidepressants (fluoxetine and citalopram) failed to help her symptoms. Talking therapy didn’t work either. After having her daughter, she wanted to find a drug-free way to manage her condition. She described the medication as making her feel like she was in a “chemical fog.”