# Cold plunge benefits: what the evidence says Source: https://saunabenefits.uk/cold-water/cold-plunge-benefits/ Author: Kit Ellery · Updated 2026-11-04 **Short answer:** The best evidence is for slightly less muscle soreness after exercise, especially at 10–15°C for 10–15 minutes. A 2025 review found cold immersion briefly raises inflammation and may lower stress about 12 hours later. Cold-finish showers cut sick days by 29% in one trial. Regular plunges after strength training can blunt muscle gains. **Evidence grade:** Weak evidence. Small or short studies, surveys, or results that are mixed. ## What does the best review say? A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis from the University of South Australia pooled 11 randomised trials of cold-water immersion in healthy adults, with 3,177 participants in total. Water was 7°C to 15°C, and immersion lasted from 30 seconds to 2 hours. It found: - **Inflammation rose** immediately and an hour after immersion. That's an acute stress response, not necessarily harmful. - **Stress was lower 12 hours later**, but not immediately, after 1 hour, or at 24 or 48 hours. - **No measurable effect on immune markers** in the hour after immersion, and **no effect on mood**. - **Better sleep quality and quality of life** in individual studies, along with the drop in sick days described below. Most of the trials were small and short, so the authors called for longer studies. ## Does a cold plunge help muscle soreness? A little. A meta-analysis of nine randomised trials found cold water immersion reduced soreness slightly more than passive rest, both straight after exercise and in the following days. The best results came with water at 10°C to 15°C and immersion of 10 to 15 minutes. The effect was small: noticeable, not dramatic. ## Can it slow your gym progress? Yes, if you're building muscle. In a 12-week trial, 21 active men did strength training twice a week, followed by either 10 minutes of cold water immersion or an active cool-down. The active cool-down group gained more strength and muscle; the cold-water group's muscle growth was blunted. Muscle biopsies suggested cold reduced the signals that drive muscle repair. If you lift weights for strength or size, keep cold plunges away from those days. ## Does cold water stop you getting ill? In a Dutch trial, 3,018 adults who didn't usually take cold showers were randomly assigned to end their daily hot shower with 30, 60 or 90 seconds of cold, or to carry on as normal, for 30 days. The cold-shower groups had 29% less sickness absence from work. They didn't report fewer days of illness, though, so the effect may have been on how unwell people felt rather than on infections. The length of the cold spell made no difference. ## Does it burn fat? Cold switches on brown fat, a type of fat that burns energy to make heat. A Danish study found experienced winter swimmers, who combined cold dips with sauna two or three times a week, burned more energy when exposed to cold than non-swimmers. That's interesting physiology, but there's no trial showing cold plunges lead to meaningful weight loss. ## How do you start? 1. **Begin with cold showers** for 30 seconds at the end of a warm shower. 2. **Move on to a plunge** at 10°C to 15°C if you want. Enter slowly and control your breathing. 3. **Stay in 30 seconds to 3 minutes.** Longer doesn't mean better for most goals. 4. **Warm up gradually** afterwards with dry clothes, a warm drink or a sauna. Read [cold water shock](/cold-water/cold-water-shock/) first, especially before open-water dips, and skip cold plunges if you have a heart condition, uncontrolled blood pressure or Raynaud's. ## Frequently asked questions ### How long should you stay in a cold plunge? For general wellbeing, 30 seconds to 3 minutes is enough for most people. Trials on muscle soreness used 10 to 15 minutes at 10°C to 15°C, which is a lot colder for a lot longer than most people need. Get out if you start shivering hard or your hands stop working well. ### Is a cold shower as good as an ice bath? It's much milder, but it's the version with the biggest trial: 3,018 Dutch adults who ended their shower with 30 to 90 seconds of cold took fewer days off sick. ### Does cold water boost your immune system? That isn't proven. In the Dutch shower trial, people took fewer sick days but didn't report fewer days of illness, so they may have felt better able to work rather than catching fewer bugs. ### Do ice baths help you lose weight? Not meaningfully. Cold activates brown fat, which burns energy to make heat, and winter swimmers burn more in the cold. But no trial shows cold plunges cause real weight loss. ## References 1. [Cain T et al. Effects of cold-water immersion on health and wellbeing: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One, 2025.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39879231/) 2. [Machado AF et al. Can water temperature and immersion time influence the effect of cold water immersion on muscle soreness? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 2016.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26581833/) 3. [Buijze GA et al. The effect of cold showering on health and work: a randomized controlled trial. PLoS One, 2016.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27631616/) 4. [Roberts LA et al. Post-exercise cold water immersion attenuates acute anabolic signalling and long-term adaptations in muscle to strength training. Journal of Physiology, 2015.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26174323/) 5. [Søberg S et al. Altered brown fat thermoregulation and enhanced cold-induced thermogenesis in young, healthy, winter-swimming men. Cell Reports Medicine, 2021.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34755128/) 6. [Esperland D, de Weerd L, Mercer JB. Health effects of voluntary exposure to cold water: a continuing subject of debate. International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 2022.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36137565/) 7. [Tipton MJ et al. Cold water immersion: kill or cure? Experimental Physiology, 2017.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28833689/)