When temperatures hit 90 degrees and the humidity makes stepping outside feel like walking into a sauna, ending your shower with a blast of cold water sounds smart. But are cold showers good for you? Conveniently, a frigid shower is one of the easiest ways to dabble in the cold-water immersion (CWI) craze—no backyard cold plunge or deep freezer full of ice bags needed. But beyond helping you cool off, are cold showers actually good for you? And do the purported payoffs—better focus, a brighter mood, a stronger immune system, even higher testosterone—really check out?
Some of these claims are rooted in science. Others, not so much. Ahead, MDs help us separate facts from fiction.
What a cold shower does to the body
You’re not weak if a cold shower feels intense. Your body is simply shifting into high gear. “Cold water exposure triggers an immediate sympathetic nervous system response,” says Arash Bereliani, MD, FACC, a board-certified cardiologist, internist, and the medical director of the Beverly Hills Institute for Cardiology and Preventive Medicine. “Your heart rate spikes, breathing deepens, and the body releases norepinephrine,” a neurotransmitter that constricts blood vessels and boosts alertness. That instant jolt is what drives many of the effects attributed to CWI.
Benefits of cold showers
Cooling off on a sweltering day is an obvious win. But the perks of cold showers go well beyond this alone. According to Dr. Bereliani, the most well-documented benefits are improvements in mood and mental alertness—which probably isn’t surprising to anyone who’s experienced the immediate rush and sense of achievement from braving the cold. “Cold exposure increases norepinephrine levels significantly, which has a real impact on focus and mood regulation,” he says. Florence Comite, MD, an endocrinologist and longevity specialist, adds that cold water also spikes dopamine levels, which doubles down on the attention-enhancing and mood-boosting effects. Since cold exposure trains your stress response, consistent doses also have the potential to improve emotional resilience over time. One study from 2007 even found that regular cold showers—around 68 degrees Fahrenheit—of just two to three minutes may help ease depression symptoms.
If your sleep score could use some work, a cold shower just might get your numbers trending in the right direction. “Some people find that a cold shower before bedtime helps them fall asleep quicker and get deeper sleep,” says Dr. Comite. Cooling your body at night helps to lower your core body temperature, setting the stage for relaxation and good night’s rest.
Cold blasts of water may even give your immune system a nudge by stimulating white blood cells into action to fend off viral infections, Dr. Comite adds. She cites one study from 2016 that found that people who took cold showers in small doses—just 30, 60, or 90 seconds long—logged 29% fewer sick days from work than those who only took warm showers.
Then there’s metabolism. Dr. Bereliani says the cold activates brown adipose tissue, which plays a role in metabolism and thermogenesis. Since your body works to stay warm, it temporarily boosts your metabolic rate. It’s enough to nudge a slight calorie burn, but it won’t replace a clean diet or a solid workout.
Do cold showers increase testosterone?
If there’s one claim guaranteed to grab men’s attention, it’s that cold showers could boost T naturally. Despite the hype, don’t count on them as a cheat code for your hormones.
“There’s some animal research suggesting cold exposure may support testicular function, since the testes are temperature-sensitive, but we don’t have strong human data showing cold showers meaningfully raise testosterone levels,” says Dr. Bereliani. A 2026 study looked at this firsthand: 11 current or former male college athletes took 10-minute cold showers for four days straight. Some logged higher testosterone levels, some lower, and some showed negligible changes. The bottom line: Cold showers yielded no statistically significant changes.
