3,018 grown-ups · 30 days

Cold showers stop you getting sick. Right?

People say: “Cold showers stop you getting sick” We read the study.

What they did

Randomised controlled trial (RCT). 3,018 people. 30 days.

A trial. Chance decided who did what.

Who: Dutch adults 18-65 without severe comorbidity or routine cold-shower experience

1

3,018 Dutch grown-ups. Chance split them into groups.

2

For 30 days, three groups ended showers with cold water.

3

One group just showered like always.

4

Everyone said their days sick and days off work.

What they found
  • Fewer days off workYes
  • Fewer days sickNo

Cold-shower groups: 29% less self-reported sickness absence from work. Illness days: no real difference

The catch

People said all this themselves.

More to know, from our read of the paper:

  • Self-reported outcomes
  • Unblinded (participants knew their group)
  • Compliance could not be verified
  • Healthy working-age adults only
  • No longevity or mortality outcome
The verdict

Fewer days off. Not less sick.

One thing to try
  1. End your shower with 30 cold seconds!
In short

3,018 Dutch grown-ups (18–65) were split by chance into four groups (a randomised trial): for 30 days, three groups ended their warm shower with 30, 60 or 90 seconds of cold, and one group showered as usual. The cold groups took 29% fewer days off work sick. But they were not sick for fewer days. 30 seconds did as well as 90, and the most reported perk was more energy. People said all of this themselves and knew their group, and lifespan was never measured.

The paper

Buijze et al. (2016). The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work: A Randomized Controlled Trial. PLOS ONE.

Design: Randomised controlled trial (RCT) · randomized controlled trial

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161749

Goals:

More energy
How we checked

We read the abstract and the full text of this paper and checked every number on this page against it (13 facts, checked on 2026-09-26). The study design is named above. Cohort and other observational studies are described as linked, not proven. Found an error? Email theis@onestudyaday.com.

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