“The intervention period was 30 consecutive days from January 1st-30th 2015. During the following 60 days January 31st-March 31st 2015 participants of all three intervention groups were instructed to shower as preferred.”
The fact that the illness days didn't decline makes this study less viable. I'd like to see a followup, but it's hard to imagine a solid base to keep the participants in the dark. It should also be much longer than 30 days.
I think there's some value to pushing yourself harder than the minimum to be comfortable and survive. But I don't think that's a eureka.
Yeah, that's the hypothesis I need to see falsified before I start taking cold showers. I reckon my 'perserverance' muscles get enough of a workout from fasting.
Meh, that would require an independent confirmation too. It is harder for me to believe that doing one somewhat uncomfortable thing a day will make you more likely to push through multiple other more uncomfortable things.
Cold showering improved individual health: the fact that those experiencing said improved health made unwise decisions that may increase the spread of disease doesn't change the fact.
Wonder what effect this would have on a weight loss program?
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 cold showers actually reported feeling ill just as many days, on average, as the people who showered normally. But either their symptoms were less severe or they felt more energetic, so they were better able to push through the sickness and function anyway. The exact effect on the immune system is unclear, but we do have some knowledge of the pathway through which it works. Cold temperatures make you shiver — an autonomous response to keep your body temperature up. It involves a neuroendocrine effect and triggers our fight-or-flight response, causing hormones like cortisol to increase, shortly before we shift to a relaxation response. Moreover, cold temperatures activate the brown — or good — fat in the body.
Brown fat doesn’t have any proven connection to immunity, but it does affect the body’s thermoregulation. When activated, it keeps the body warm by burning calories. It may also increase your energy and metabolism and help control your blood sugar. That could reduce your risk of obesity and diabetes.