{"id":152031,"date":"2025-06-26T12:48:42","date_gmt":"2025-06-26T12:48:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/extreme-heat-heres-why-taking-a-cold-shower-isnt-the-answer\/"},"modified":"2025-06-26T12:48:42","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T12:48:42","slug":"extreme-heat-heres-why-taking-a-cold-shower-isnt-the-answer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/extreme-heat-heres-why-taking-a-cold-shower-isnt-the-answer\/","title":{"rendered":"Extreme heat? Here’s why taking a cold shower isn’t the answer."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Alessio Cozzolino (Corriere della Sera)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Updated <\/span>

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“An unexpected event that turns off enthusiasm”: thus defines the dictionary the expression “cold shower.”<\/p>\n

Interestingly, even a \u00a0cold water shower\u00a0 can bring us an unpleasant surprise. Immersing yourself in \u00a0ice water\u00a0 to escape the heat of summer is almost a conditioned reflex on overwhelming hot days. However, what seems like a logical remedy can have the opposite effect, often making us feel worse. Professor Adam Taylor, a professor of Anatomy at the \u00a0University of Lancaster\u00a0 (United Kingdom), shed light on this topic in a recent article published in The Conversation<\/i>.<\/p>\n

The Body’s Strategy for Heat Management<\/h2>\n

Our body is a \u00a0dynamic system\u00a0 that consumes energy and disperses it as heat. It continuously produces energy, even while at rest, leading to a potential internal temperature rise of approximately \u00a01 \u00b0C per hour\u00a0. If this excess heat is not eliminated efficiently, our organs could face detrimental \u00a0damage\u00a0. To prevent this, our body employs essential \u00a0cooling mechanisms\u00a0 that can be likened to a radiator. The main cooling process is \u00a0convection\u00a0, where excess heat is transferred to the environment through the skin, making the human body appear as a source of \u00a0infrared radiation\u00a0 when observed with a thermographic camera.<\/p>\n

Thermostat Regulation: How Our Brain Responds<\/h2>\n

When surrounding air heats up, our \u00a0natural thermostat\u00a0 activates\u2014the \u00a0Thermoregulator center\u00a0, located in the preoptic zone of the hypothalamus. This prompts a cascade of physiological responses, such as the dilation of blood vessels beneath the skin and the initiation of \u00a0sweating\u00a0, both crucial for dissipating heat. So, why would a \u00a0cold shower\u00a0 (for instance, at about \u00a015 \u00b0C\u00a0) hinder this process? While it may seem reasonable, exposure to cold induces a \u00a0vasoconstriction\u00a0 effect. This narrowing of blood vessels limits blood flow to the skin’s surface, consequently reducing our body’s ability to shed heat effectively.<\/p>\n

Paradox of Cold Showers: The Hidden Dangers<\/h2>\n

This interaction yields a paradox: rather than shedding heat, \u00a0warmth is trapped\u00a0 within the body. The sensory deception follows; after a cold shower, we may feel a momentary sensation of freshness as our skin receptors sense the low water temperature. Yet, on a systemic level, thermoregulation becomes \u00a0disrupted\u00a0. “Ultimately, in a cold environment, the human body aims to retain heat, not to expel it,” says Taylor. Additionally, the sudden change from warm to cold water can trigger a rapid \u00a0increase in blood pressure\u00a0. The heart must exert more effort to circulate blood through suddenly constricted peripheral vessels\u2014a matter that should not be taken lightly by those with \u00a0hypertension\u00a0 or cardiovascular issues.<\/p>\n

Hygiene Considerations: The Importance of Temperature<\/h2>\n

Lastly, hygiene plays a crucial role in this discussion. Some dermatologists argue that \u00a0cold water\u00a0 is less effective at eliminating \u00a0sebum\u00a0 (body oil). \u201cThe best practice is to take a bath or shower with warm water, around \u00a026-27 \u00b0C\u00a0,\u201d suggests Taylor. At this temperature, our body can efficiently bring blood to the surface to cool down without triggering energy-consuming defense mechanisms. Should we wish to lower our body temperature further, it’s better to do so gradually by immersing one part of the body at a time. As is often the case in medicine, a \u00a0moderate approach\u00a0 proves to be the most effective.<\/p>\n

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General News – 2<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Alessio Cozzolino (Corriere della Sera) Updated Thursday, June 26, 2025 – 08:19 “An unexpected event that turns off enthusiasm”: thus defines the dictionary the expression “cold shower.” Interestingly, even a \u00a0cold water shower\u00a0 can bring us an unpleasant surprise. Immersing yourself in \u00a0ice water\u00a0 to escape the heat of summer is almost a conditioned reflex […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36400],"tags":[2064,2212,2314,2120,18278,11766,37670,6489],"class_list":["post-152031","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","tag-answer","tag-cold","tag-extreme","tag-heat","tag-heres","tag-isnt","tag-science-and-salud-health","tag-shower"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152031","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=152031"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152031\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=152031"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=152031"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=152031"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}