Evidence-Based Medicine

Articles tagged with "Evidence-Based Medicine".

Meta-analysis: Cold-water Immersion After Exercise and Fatigue

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

January 16, 2026

Does Cold Water Hurt Your Thinking Ability?

Yes, in most cases. This systematic review of 18 studies found that cold exposure impairs cognitive performance in 15 of them (83%). The effects happen even before your body temperature drops dangerously low, and cold water has a stronger impact than cold air.

Whether you’re a winter swimmer, an outdoor worker, or someone who enjoys cold plunges, you might wonder: does cold water affect your brain? This comprehensive review from 2021 analyzed studies on both cold air and cold water exposure to answer that question.

Outdoor Swimming as an Intervention for Depression and Anxiety

Tags: Mental Health, Exercise Recovery, Evidence-Based Medicine

January 16, 2026

Can Outdoor Swimming Help Treat Depression?

Promising, but we need more research. This 2023 study describes a rigorous randomized controlled trial designed to test whether an 8-session outdoor swimming course can help adults with mild to moderate depression symptoms. The trial will compare outdoor swimming plus usual care against usual care alone.

Depression affects at least 1 in 10 people during their lifetime. Standard treatments like medication and therapy have modest recovery rates of 45-50%. Many people struggle with medication side effects or long waiting times for therapy. Researchers are now testing whether nature-based activities like outdoor swimming could offer another option.

Physiology, Diving Reflex Ncbi Bookshelf

Tags: Cold Therapy, Evidence-Based Medicine

January 16, 2026

What Is the Diving Reflex and How Does It Work?

The diving reflex is a protective physiological response that occurs in all mammals when the face is submerged in water. It triggers three main changes: your heart slows (bradycardia), you stop breathing (apnea), and blood vessels constrict to redirect blood to vital organs. This reflex exists to preserve oxygen and protect life during water immersion.

First described in 1786 by Edmund Goodwyn and further characterized by Paul Bert in 1870, the diving reflex is a multi-system response found in all vertebrates. It’s especially strong in infants and can even be used medically to treat certain heart rhythm problems.

Plasma Catecholamines and Serotonin Metabolites During a Winter

Tags: Evidence-Based Medicine

January 16, 2026

Does Winter Swimming Change Your Stress Hormones Over Time?

Yes, but so does simply being in a research study. This Finnish study tracked winter swimmers and non-swimmers over one winter season. Both groups showed decreased stress hormones (noradrenaline and adrenaline) from autumn to spring. The winter swimmers’ blood pressure also dropped significantly.

Researchers from the University of Oulu followed 25 winter swimmers and 11 non-swimmer controls over one winter. They measured blood hormones and psychological traits three times: October, January, and May. The goal was to understand whether winter swimming produces lasting changes in stress hormones and brain chemicals.

Potential Health Benefits of Cold-water Immersion Review

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

January 16, 2026

Does Cold Water Immersion Actually Improve Your Health?

Maybe, but the evidence is still building. This comprehensive review found that cold water immersion triggers molecular changes that could boost metabolism, improve blood vessel function, and protect cells from damage. However, most evidence comes from short-term studies, and we still need long-term human trials to confirm these benefits.

Cold water immersion (water below 15°C or 59°F) has been used for health purposes since ancient Egypt around 3500 BC. Hippocrates used cold therapy to treat conditions like pneumonia. Today, ice baths and cold plunges have become popular wellness trends. But does the science support the hype?

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.

Sea Swimming as a Novel Intervention for Depression and Anxiety

Tags: Mental Health, Evidence-Based Medicine

January 16, 2026

Can Sea Swimming Help Treat Depression and Anxiety?

Yes. This feasibility study found large reductions in depression and anxiety scores after an 8-session sea swimming course. Attendance was 90%, and 70% of participants were still swimming regularly three months later. The improvements in mental health symptoms met NHS recovery standards.

With rising demand for mental health services and long waiting times for therapy, researchers explored whether sea swimming could be a practical intervention for depression and anxiety. This study tested an 8-session supervised swimming course in North Devon, UK.

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.

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.

Winter Swimming Improves General Well-being

Tags: Mental Health, Evidence-Based Medicine

January 16, 2026

Does Winter Swimming Really Improve How You Feel?

Yes. This Finnish study found that after four months of winter swimming, participants had significantly less tension, fatigue, and negative mood compared to when they started. They also felt more energetic and vigorous than non-swimmers, and all those with rheumatism, fibromyalgia, or asthma reported that swimming relieved their pain.

Researchers from the University of Oulu tracked 36 Finnish winter swimmers over a four-month period. Using validated questionnaires, they measured mood states and subjective symptoms before and after the winter swimming season. The results confirmed what many winter swimmers have long claimed: regular dips in ice-cold water improve well-being.

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.”

Daily TMS Therapy: The Depression Treatment That Works in Just 6 Weeks

Tags: TMS Therapy, Depression Treatment, Neurostimulation, Evidence-Based Medicine

December 8, 2025

Does daily TMS work for treatment-resistant depression?

Yes. Daily left prefrontal TMS significantly improves depression symptoms in treatment-resistant patients, with response rates more than double those of sham treatment. This landmark randomized controlled trial demonstrated that patients receiving real TMS were 4 times more likely to achieve remission compared to those receiving fake treatment, establishing TMS as an effective therapy for depression that doesn’t respond to medications.

TMS works by delivering focused magnetic pulses to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a brain region that shows decreased activity in depression. The daily stimulation helps restore normal brain function and connectivity in areas responsible for mood regulation, executive function, and emotional processing.