Taking ice baths can have a surprise effect: increasing your appetite

A new research has found that cold water baths are associated with greater appetite, even if there was no exercise in advance.

A new one published in Physiology & Behavior reveals that cold water immersion can significantly increase appetite, even without any prior exercise.

Investigators in the UK found that people who spent 30 minutes sitting in water at 16 ° C (61 ° F) ate about a third Of food than after being sitting in warm water or in a thermoneutral room, explains the.

The experience involved 15 healthy and physically active adults who completed three test sessions: immersion in cold water, warm water immersion (35 ° C) and sit outdoors to room temperature (26 ° C). After each session, the participants received a standard mass meal And they were instructed to eat until they feel “comfortably satisfied.”

On average, participants consumed 2,783 kilojoules (KJ) after the cold water session, compared to 1,817 kJ in warm water condition and 1,894 kJ in the ambient temperature configuration. This 34% increase In energy intake it occurred although participants did not refer to feeling more hungry or less satiety – suggesting a physiological, not psychological response.

Energy expenditure was also higher during the exposure to the cold, with participants Burning about 224 kJ compared to only 135 kJ in warm water. Tremors were common in the cold condition, and body temperature visibly descended in the 15 minutes after immersion-a phenomenon called “post-immersion fall.”

Researchers believe that the body can compensate for this cooling Looking for more foodpotentially generating heat through digestion, known as the thermal effect of food. The study also suggests that exposure to cold in itself, without exercise, can stimulate increased food intake.

Notably, the increase in appetite did not occur after immersion in warm water, indicating that being in the water alone is not enough to trigger the answer. Levels of hormones such as ghiline or leptin have not been measured either, leaving questions open on underlying biological mechanisms.

Although the small sample size and short -term focus limits the broader study applicability, the results are significant for anyone using cold water therapy as part of a health regime. Extra calories consumed after immersion surpassed burnt energy, raising concerns for those seeking to control the weight.