In heat, many quickly reach for a cool down. However, researchers have found that these methods do not always help. Some supposed tricks even cause the body to warm up even more.
As temperatures rise, we quickly gravitate toward ice cubes, cold drinks, or a plunge into the cold shower. Although it feels refreshing immediately, this feeling can deceive our body. Surprisingly, these measures often have the opposite effect and promote the warming of our body.
Not only in real life, but also in games do you have to withstand searing heat. Check out the trailer for Dune: Awakening.
When Cold Becomes a Trap
Why do cold drinks not really help? Although ice-cold drinks seem pleasant on hot days, the body ensures that the cooling is often only temporary. According to the scientific publisher Frontiers, the body reacts with a so-called temperature shock: the blood vessels constrict, reducing blood circulation near the skin. At the same time, the brain registers the drop in temperature and slows down sweat production – our most important means of cooling down.
Although sweat production decreases, the cold stimulates metabolism because the body has to expend energy to maintain its core temperature. As a result, internal heat rises. This interplay can seem paradoxical: while the body produces more heat due to the increased metabolism, the heat dissipation through sweating is restricted.
Especially on hot days, when we should be drinking plenty, this can become a burden on the organism, as the body cools less effectively while losing more fluids. Therefore, the Consumer Advice Center also recommends not to drink either ice-cold or excessively hot beverages.
How do ice-cold showers work? A cold shower feels pleasant at first, but the effect is limited and can even be counterproductive. Studies from the American Center for Biotechnology show that cold triggers a cold shock reflex. The blood vessels at the skin constrict, reducing blood circulation at the surface.
Because the blood vessels constrict, heat is not effectively released from the body but is retained internally, the opposite of what one actually wants to achieve. Instead of quickly cooling the body down, the sudden cold often makes one feel warmer afterward.
That’s why fans are not always the best solution: Fans are a popular means of cooling down in summer. However, at very high temperatures, they lose their cooling effect. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends in its Fact Sheet that fans should no longer be used for cooling at outdoor temperatures above 40°C. Under such conditions, they can even increase body temperature, as they accelerate the evaporation of sweat, thereby increasing the risk of dehydration.
Tips that really help against heat: When temperatures rise, it is important to rely on methods that actually work. This is confirmed by both the Federal Institute for Public Health and the WHO. Experts recommend proven measures that effectively protect the body and prevent overheating. Here are the most important tips for hot days:
- Wear light, breathable, loose, and light-colored clothing.
- Protect your head and eyes with a hat or sunglasses.
- Take cool or lukewarm showers or baths (no ice-cold showers).
- Moisten skin and clothing with water (e.g., wet towels or sprays) for evaporative cooling.
- Drink regularly and plenty throughout the day, even without thirst.
- Avoid very cold drinks; room temperature or slightly warm beverages are recommended.
- Ensure sufficient mineral intake to compensate for electrolyte losses due to sweating.
- Keep windows closed during the day and shield them with blinds, shutters, or awnings. However, do not close them completely; leave slits open.
- Use fans only at temperatures below about 40°C to cool the skin.
- Use air conditioning, keeping doors and windows closed.
While in Germany, there is often a reliance on air conditioning or fans, other solutions have long been common in Southern Europe and help effectively against searing heat. There, ceiling fans are standard equipment. Especially now, during the current heatwave, it is worth looking at this often underestimated solution.
