The Mood Benefits Of Heat Therapy May Rival That Of Cold, New Research Says

Ice bathing, cold showers, and cryotherapy are all the rage these days—and for good reason. Cold water immersion triggers the release of a variety of neurotransmitters1, among them dopamine2—a happy hormone that elicits feelings of pleasure. But while cold plunging can be mood-boosting, it's not accessible (or enjoyable!) for everyone. 

A new study published in the journal Scientific Reports revealed a significant association between higher depression severity and higher body temperature3. 

To reach these findings, researchers collected data from over 20,000 participants over seven months using self-reported and wearable body temperature measurements. 

Interestingly, the change in body temperature from sleep to waking was smaller for those with more severe depression, given their sleep body temperatures were higher to begin with. 

These findings highlight the potential for refocusing depression treatment on lowering body temperature.

And it may sound counterintuitive, but raising your body temperature temporarily could actually allow it to cool in the long run. This is thanks to the body's counter-cooling process. Researchers from this study state that heat therapy approaches like infrared sauna lamps4, warm baths, and hot yoga have all been shown to have antidepressant effects, warranting these relatively harm-free mood interventions to consider. 

Previous research has also touted heat therapy as a possible depression treatment4, but more research is needed to determine which heat therapy forms are best for this purpose.