Cold Showers?

brewitzer
brewitzer Posts: 25 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey Everyone!

Just wondering if any of you have heard that finishing your last minute of your shower with cold water (70 degrees or cooler) will burn an extra 100 calories maybe 200? I read it somewhere in a lowfat cookbook I bought years ago and now can't find the quote.

What's your take on this??

Thanks in advance!!

~Beth
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Replies

  • now_or_never12
    now_or_never12 Posts: 849 Member
    I doubt it. If there is any extra calorie burn it wouldn't be that much in only a minute.

    A cold water rinse does help your hair though... closes the cuticle and makes it shiny.
  • brewitzer
    brewitzer Posts: 25 Member
    Yep! Cold water=shiny hair....that I do know as I tell all my clients at the salon the very same thing! ;)
  • monicalosesweight
    monicalosesweight Posts: 1,173 Member
    Doubt it would do much unless you dropped it to the point where you'd be jumping up and down screaming from the cold for a few minutes. LOL. It does make your hair shiny though and helps untangle it better. I've always done that at the end of my shower. Also, the cold water sorta stops you from getting sweaty on your way out. At least, that's what I've always experienced.
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
    also no idea about the calorie thing, but it's supposed to be good for the skin too. Supposedly tightens up the pores after all the heat. I always end with a dash of cold (except in winter)
  • runzalot81
    runzalot81 Posts: 782 Member
    Ridiculous.
  • lilpoindexter
    lilpoindexter Posts: 1,122 Member
    Poppycock. If it were true I would just put up with the discomfort for 10 minutes a day and not go to the gym.
    It was 70F with 70% humidity at 6AM in Los Angeles today, so during my after workout shower I turned the water full cold...it felt uncomfortable and good at the same time.
  • brewitzer
    brewitzer Posts: 25 Member
    Ok....here's what I remember reading...

    It's gotta be under 70 degrees and it takes 60 seconds for your body to adjust to the cold water. Once you're used to it , your body donesn't burn the extra calories. It's during that adjustment period that you're burning the extra calories.

    It's the same principle that ppl who work in extreme cold temps need to consume extra calories to keep the body warm.....


    THINK ABOUT IT!
  • melanielockard
    melanielockard Posts: 114 Member
    I have heard the same thing, and always wondered if it was true!
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,458 Member
    :huh: thlmao-1.gif
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    The impact of taking a cold shower on your calorie burn is absolutely miniscule. You would burn more doing a couple of jumping jacks before getting into the shower - and it would be far less unpleasant.
  • slowturtle1
    slowturtle1 Posts: 284 Member
    I used to know a woman from France who swore by the cold shower finish. She said it "tightened the skin."
  • Lift_This_
    Lift_This_ Posts: 2,756 Member
    are you just pulling our leg? or has there been research done?

    i usually end my shower by standing under the cold water for a couple minutes....helps close up the cuticles and pores in your body....plus makes things extra perky...lol

    i like shiny hair.
  • LuckyAng
    LuckyAng Posts: 1,173 Member
    Doubtful, but I love cold at the end of my showers, especially with it being so disgusting and hot outside. And as mentioned, it's good for the hair :)
  • thenewkayla
    thenewkayla Posts: 313 Member
    I Personly love cold showers after cardio but i would nt think it burn more calories then walking to the bathroom.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    http://muscleevo.net/cold-showers-weight-loss/

    A quick google suggests that its wishful thinking - the effect is very small, and no scientific tests have been carried out.
  • l0seme
    l0seme Posts: 6
    There are diets based on this actually - a cold bath/shower and a black coffee in the morning.
    It's to do with boosting your metabolism for the day.
    Apparently.
  • Soltari675
    Soltari675 Posts: 21 Member
    The reason people in cold weather must eat extra calories is because the body works to keep you warm. Extra blood flow, minor muscle movements that eventually turn into shivering if the body needs to. Etc. 1 minute in cold water in the shower won't trigger that kind of response. And definitely not that many calories worth. I do agree with the brighter hair and skin. But they are pulling your leg about burning calories. You'd need several minutes in water cold enough to make you shiver to start burning any.
  • brewitzer
    brewitzer Posts: 25 Member
    Glad I made you all think this morning;)
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Ok....here's what I remember reading...

    It's gotta be under 70 degrees and it takes 60 seconds for your body to adjust to the cold water. Once you're used to it , your body donesn't burn the extra calories. It's during that adjustment period that you're burning the extra calories.

    It's the same principle that ppl who work in extreme cold temps need to consume extra calories to keep the body warm.....


    THINK ABOUT IT!

    What if it was 70.1 or 71 degrees, no dice on the extra calorie burn?
  • brewitzer
    brewitzer Posts: 25 Member
    All I'm saying is that I read this somewhere in one of my lowfat cookbooks and it came to mind this morning. If I find it I will let you all know where and what page so you can blast the author instead of me...I don't remember the exact details of this tip he wrote...
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    Doubtful, but I love cold at the end of my showers, especially with it being so disgusting and hot outside...
    No such thing as 'cold water' in the Arizona desert this time of year unless it comes from the refrigerator. It comes straight out of the tap at about 85-90 degrees!
  • jshort152
    jshort152 Posts: 80
    When you shiver you burn extra calories, but you would not burn 100 in just 90 seconds or else eskimos and Alaskans would be shredded. All jokes aside, you will burn a little extra but usually a colder shower is better for after a workout when you squeeze out the lactic acid from your muscles, hope this helps!

    Jesse Short
    ISSA Certified Personal Trainer
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
    a colder shower is better for after a workout when you squeeze out the lactic acid from your muscles

    Jesse Short
    ISSA Certified Personal Trainer


    explain?:huh:
  • NormalSaneFLGuy
    NormalSaneFLGuy Posts: 1,344 Member
    Q=mc delta T = energy = mass x specific heat capacity x change in temp
    A human is a giant water bag, so lets use the specific heat of water.

    4.186 Joules/gram degrees C. Next, lets say the person goes into a cold shower for 1 minute as you described. First of all, their entire body can not and will not change it's entire temperature in that amount of time, but lets pretend in your scenario it is plausible idea. We now need a mass. Lets say a person of 180lbs which is 81646.6, but we'll round it to 81647grams. Okay. Next you need a temperature change. Hypothermia kicks in around 95F. Lets put 99 as our high and 96 as low. 37.22 to 35.56 = 1.66 C change.

    So Q = 4.186J/gC x 81647g x 1.66C =567345J=135 calories.

    So under the delusion that in 1 minute, our entire core body temperature OF ALL OUR BODY MASS dropped from 99F to 96F, then yes our body would burn 135 calories. That being said, if you think that is remotely possible with the limited flow of a shower of water hitting you at 70F exposed to open air in a room of 75F and the limited physical contact it has - you're an idiot.

    As per survival manuals, in say 70F water FULLY IMMERSED it will take approximately 20-30 minutes to drop your temp below 96 degrees. THIS change WOULD give you the calorie deficit calculated.

    So, if you take a person, put them in a cold BATH, fully immersed to the neck, and MAINTAIN the temperature at 70F for 20-30 minutes, then yes, at that point, they will have burned 135 calories.

    Edit: and entered hypothermia
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
    Activating brown fat via cold showers may lead to a negligible increase in caloric burn. Doing 50 burpees daily would probably burn more kcals and help your physique look better than a cold shower will.
  • magj0y
    magj0y Posts: 1,911 Member
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/154168-how-to-lose-weight-with-cold-showers/

    Yes, and it's effective at burning back fat. Burning *fat* , not calories.

    this is one reason swimmers burn so many calories. the water is cold and the body has to work over time to keep body temp up.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,333 Member
    I saw Tim Ferris of the Four Hour Work Week on Dr. Oz. His new diet book was his research on things that make you lose weight.. His "research" showed that taking a cold shower or bath did help one lose weight. It does something to make your body burn more calories. ..by recalibrating something internally. The entire book were just things that studies proved to be true to lose weight.

    I know that sounds sketchy but it was a while back and I can't recall the details. Just that it was research that was done long ago from a study.
  • kiminikimkim
    kiminikimkim Posts: 746 Member
    I believe it may burn calories if you end up shivering to warm up. Shivering burns calories.
  • magj0y
    magj0y Posts: 1,911 Member
    I saw Tim Ferris of the Four Hour Work Week on Dr. Oz. His new diet book was his research on things that make you lose weight.. His "research" showed that taking a cold shower or bath did help one lose weight. It does something to make your body burn more calories. ..by recalibrating something internally. The entire book were just things that studies proved to be true to lose weight.

    I know that sounds sketchy but it was a while back and I can't recall the details. Just that it was research that was done long ago from a study.

    I have the 4 hour body book, it has a lot of great info in there! He's a weird dude, but is great at explaining things.
  • donkraft
    donkraft Posts: 28 Member
    Cold showers or even better ice baths can reduce inflamation and help recovery. But yes I do believe in the extra calorie burn. Your body spends calories producing body heat so if you lower your core temp it makes your furnace work harder to make more heat. I dont know how many extra calories it would be though.

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