Is Drinking Cold Water Bad For You? Risks And Benefits

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Medical News TodaySubscribeIs drinking cold water bad for a person?

Medically reviewed by Marie Lorraine Johnson MS, RD, CPT — Written by Beth Sissons — Updated on March 31, 2025

Is it bad for you?
Risks
Benefits
Cold vs. warm water
Summary

Staying hydrated is vital for our health, but there is some debate about the best temperature for water to be when people drink it. Some advocates believe that drinking cold water can be bad for the health.

Consuming enough water every day is essential for supporting all bodily functions, including digestion and metabolism, getting rid of waste, maintaining a normal body temperature, and keeping organs and tissues healthy.

In this article, we examine whether drinking cold water is bad for people. We also cover the potential risks and benefits of drinking cold water and whether it is better to drink warm or cold water.

A note about sex and gender

Sex and gender exist on spectrums. This article will use the terms “male,” “female,” or both to refer to sex assigned at birth. Learn more.

Is drinking cold water bad for you?

A couple of glasses of water. — Ekaterina Demidova/Getty Images

According to the Indian traditions of Ayurvedic medicine, cold water can cause an imbalance to the body and slow down the digestive process.

The body has a core temperature of around 98.6°F (37°C) and Ayurvedic practitioners reason that the body needs to expend additional energy to restore this temperature after drinking cold water.

In the Ayurvedic tradition, cold water can dampen “the fire,” or Agni, which fuels all the systems in the body and is essential to health. Ayurvedic practitioners also believe that warm or hot water helps to ease digestion.

However, there is little scientific evidence to suggest that cold water is bad for the body or digestion. Drinking plenty of water can help the body flush out toxins, aid digestion, and prevent constipation.

A small older study from 2013 investigated the effects of drinking water at different temperatures in six people who were dehydrated, following mild exercise, in a hot and humid chamber.

The researchers found that changing the water temperature affected the sweating response of the participants and how much water they drank. The optimal water temperature in the study was 16°C (60.8°F), which is the temperature of cool tap water because the participants drank more water and sweated less.

The researchers concluded that drinking water at 16°C (60.8°F) may be the best temperature for rehydration in dehydrated athletes.

Risks of drinking cold water

Some older research suggests that people with conditions that affect the esophagus, or food pipe, such as achalasia, should avoid drinking cold water. Achalasia is a rare condition that can make swallowing food and drink difficult.

An older 2012 study found that drinking cold water worsened symptoms in people with achalasia. However, when participants drank hot water, it helped soothe and relax the food pipe, making food and drink easier to swallow.

One older 2001 study involving 669 females suggested that drinking cold water may cause headaches in some people.

The researchers reported that 7.6% of participants experienced a headache after drinking 150 milliliters (mm) of ice-cold water through a straw. They also found that participants with active migraine were twice as likely to get a headache after drinking cold water as those who had never had a migraine episode.

Some people claim that consuming cold drinks and foods can cause a sore throat or cold. However, there is no scientific evidence to support this claim.

Benefits of drinking cold water

Some studies suggest that drinking colder water during exercise may improve a person’s performance and endurance.

For example, older research from 2012 involving 45 physically fit males found that drinking cold water during exercise significantly reduced the rise in core body temperature compared with drinking room temperature water.

An older study from 2014 investigated the effects of different drinks on the cycling performance of 12 trained male athletes in a tropical climate.

The researchers reported that drinking an ice-slush beverage was better for performance than drinking water at a neutral temperature. However, they also concluded that the athletes achieved the best performance when consuming an ice-slush beverage that also had a menthol aroma.

Additionally, more recent 2022 research suggests that even small amounts of water, particularly if it is cold and carbonated, can elicit a sustained pressor response. The pressor response refers to a significant rise in blood pressure.

The researchers noted that this could make drinking cold and carbonated water a first aid option for some types of acute hypotension.

Another older 2014 study suggested that cold and room temperature water may reduce the heart’s workload by reducing heart rate and double product, which is a measure of oxygen demand in the heart muscle.

Cold vs. warm water

People may find drinking warm or hot water soothing, especially in colder months, while cool water can be more refreshing in warmer weather. Drinking warm water may temporarily improve circulation by causing the arteries and veins to expand.

An older 2013 study suggests that the optimal water temperature for rehydration following exercise may be 16°C (60.8°F), which is around the same temperature as cool tap water.

The researchers reported that participants who consumed water at this temperature drank more water voluntarily and sweated less than when they drank water at other temperatures.

In an older 2011 study, researchers concluded that drinking cold water at a temperature of 5°C did “not improve voluntary drinking and hydration status” in six Taekwondo athletes.

People should make sure they get enough water each day, regardless of its temperature.

»MORE: Learn about how much water to drink each day.

Summary

There is little scientific evidence to suggest that drinking cold water is bad for people. In fact, drinking colder water may improve exercise performance and be better for rehydration when exercising, especially in hotter environments.

However, drinking cold water may worsen symptoms in people with achalasia, which affects the food pipe. Drinking ice-cold water may also causes headaches in some people, particularly those who live with migraine.

People should note that drinking water of any temperature is essential for staying hydrated, especially when exercising or in hot environments.

Nutrition / Diet
Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
Sports Medicine / Fitness

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesMedical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Gernady L. (n.d.). To ice or not to ice? The ayurvedic question. https://kripalu.org/resources/ice-or-not-ice-ayurvedic-question
Girona M, et al. (2015). Cardiovascular and metabolic responses to tap water ingestion in young humans: does the water temperature matter? [Abstract]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24684853
Hosseinlou A, et al. (2013). The effect of water temperature and voluntary drinking on the post rehydration sweating. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3762624/
Hymczak H, et al. (2021). Core temperature measurement—Principles of correct measurement, problems, and complications. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8535559/
Khamnei S, et al. (2011). Water temperature, voluntary drinking and fluid balance in dehydrated taekwondo athletes. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3761501/
Kubota S, et al. (2022). The pressor response to the drinking of cold water and cold carbonated water in healthy younger and older adults. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8793880/
LaFata D, et al. (2012). The effect of a cold beverage during an exercise session combining both strength and energy systems development training on core temperature and markers of performance. https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1550-2783-9-44
Mattsson P. (2001). Headache caused by drinking cold water is common and related to active migraine [Abstract]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11442559
Ren Y, et al. (2012). Response of esophagus to high and low temperatures in patients with achalasia. http://www.jnmjournal.org/journal/view.html?doi=10.5056/jnm.2012.18.4.391
Riera F, et al. (2014). Physical and perceptual cooling with beverages to increase cycle performance in a tropical climate.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0103718

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Medically reviewed by Marie Lorraine Johnson MS, RD, CPT — Written by Beth Sissons — Updated on March 31, 2025

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Tag » How Cold Is Ice Water

Is Drinking Cold Water Bad For You? Risks And Benefits

A note about sex and gender

Is drinking cold water bad for you?

Risks of drinking cold water

Benefits of drinking cold water

Cold vs. warm water

Summary

How we reviewed this article:

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