Do ice baths burn fat?

A new study suggests that ice baths may help burn body fat. Cold water exposure also appears to protect against insulin resistance and diabetes. Other health benefits were less clear, however.

healthline.com - Can Ice Baths Help You Burn Body Fat? New Research Says Yes

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Share on Pinterest A new study suggests that taking ice baths can help you cut body fat and lower your diabetes risk too. Johner Images/Getty Images A new study suggests that ice baths may help burn body fat.

Cold water exposure also appears to protect against insulin resistance and diabetes.

Other health benefits were less clear, however.

Experts suggest starting slow and doing your homework before you begin. The authors of a new review published in the International Journal of Circumpolar Health say that taking a dip in cold water may be just the thing if you are looking to reduce the amount of unhealthy body fat that you have. Cold water exposure might also lower your risk for certain conditions such as diabetes, they explain. It seems to increase the amount of a hormone called “adiponectin” that is made by adipose tissue. Adiponectin plays an important part in preventing insulin resistance, a state where the muscles, fat, and liver become less responsive to insulin. Lead author Dr. James Mercer, a professor at UIT – The Arctic University of Norway, said that several types of beneficial effects have previously been proposed for cold water exposure, such as: Boosting the immune system

Giving a natural high

Improving circulation

Increasing libido

Burning calories

Reducing stress

Making new friends

Relieving depression

Jump starting the metabolism

Improving cardiovascular health

Reducing pain and inflammation “Our investigation shows that there is increasing evidence that many of these suggestions may be correct,” said Mercer, “especially regarding the potential preventative health effects on the immune system, potential prophylactic effects on the cardiovascular system, prophylaxis against insulin resistance, and improved insulin sensitivity and mental health.” However, he noted that the speculated effects of giving a natural high, increasing libido, and reducing depression don’t appear to be supported by the evidence. What can we learn from this study? Dr. Chris Minson, who is an expert in exercise physiology, women’s health, heart health, and thermoregulation at the University of Oregon as well as a member of the American Physiological Society, noted that one of the key things we should take away from this review is that we still don’t know enough about what the potential health benefits of cold water exposure are. However, he noted that some of the stronger evidence revealed by the study suggests that cold water exposure seems to aid in blood sugar regulation. “This is through improvements in the way that insulin works in our body,” he explained, “and it has real potential for helping to improve the risk of diabetes, and thereby may also improve cardiovascular health.” Minson further noted that there is more limited evidence that repetitive exposure to cold water might reduce the amount of unhealthy body fat, maybe by changing it to be more like the healthy, more metabolically active brown adipose tissue. As to how this might happen, Minson explained that cold water exposure creates stress on our physiology in much the same way that exercise does. “If these stresses are repeated over time, and we are able to recover and adapt to the stresses, our physiology will be more resilient,” said Minson, “and we may have lower levels of background inflammation (which occurs when we are sedentary, eating poorly, or have excess body fat).”

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