“It was a mouse study, so it can generate hypotheses about inflammation and reproductive tissues,” said Dr Badaruddin. “But it does not prove that standard human cold plunges harm fertility, cycles or hormones. At this stage, the evidence is not strong enough to say that routine, controlled cold plunges disrupt women’s hormones or menstrual cycles in humans.”
On the contrary, said Dr Badaruddin, “some human reports suggest cold-water exposure may even improve symptoms such as mood changes and hot flashes” in perimenopausal and menopausal women.
