Clinical research on cold therapy medicine continues to improve, providing scientific support for the market of cold foam refrigeration equipment

In the first half of 2026, multiple sports medicine and comprehensive rehabilitation hospitals at home and abroad jointly released more than ten sets of clinical trial reports on cold water immersion in humans, systematically verifying the positive effects of controllable low-temperature hydrotherapy on muscle repair, metabolic regulation, and immune enhancement, filling the gap in scientific knowledge among the public consumer end, and continuously promoting the expansion of market demand for ice bath cold foam refrigeration equipment. Cold therapy has officially shifted from a popular health concept to a standardized rehabilitation method supported by complete medical data. Previously, there was a long-term cognitive differentiation in the development of the cold foam industry. Some consumers only learned about the effectiveness of cold baths through fragmented content in short videos, lacking authoritative clinical data to support it. Many middle-aged, elderly, and chronic disease groups have concerns about low-temperature stimulation and damage to their bodies, which limits the market penetration speed. However, the results of this multi center clinical trial provide core endorsement for the development of the industry.
For the dimension of sports injury repair, 120 long-term strength training and track and field athletes were clinically selected for group control testing. After training, they were soaked in cold water at 7-12 ℃ for 1-3 minutes, and continuously controlled by a stable temperature controlled refrigerator with water circulation for 4 weeks. After intervention, the subjects' muscle lactate metabolism rate increased by 41%, the concentration of joint inflammatory factors decreased by 36%, and the average duration of delayed muscle soreness was shortened by 2 days. The recovery effect was significantly different from the control group that only received hot compress and static stretching. The medical team explained that the cold foam refrigeration machine continuously agitates the water body to form a uniform low-temperature environment, avoiding the impact of local water temperature overheating on the effectiveness of cold therapy. Constant low-temperature contraction of capillaries and inhibition of inflammatory exudation are the core principles for alleviating high-intensity sports injuries. However, the manual addition of ice cubes causes significant fluctuations in water temperature and cannot achieve standardized rehabilitation processes. The irreplaceability of professional refrigeration equipment has been verified.
The metabolic weight loss related experiments also reached key conclusions. Long term low-temperature stimulation can activate the activity of human brown adipose tissue, which continuously breaks down calories to maintain body temperature. The basal metabolic rate of the daily standardized cold foam population increases by 7% -11%. Combined with reasonable diet and exercise, it can assist in weight control and has no side effects of drug weight loss; On the immune level, low-temperature stimulation promotes a 22% increase in peripheral blood leukocyte production, and the incidence of respiratory tract infections decreases by nearly 30% in subjects who persist in cold soaking for a long time during seasonal changes; On the mental level, low-temperature stimulation releases endorphins, which can reduce cortisol stress hormone levels and improve common urban sub-health problems such as anxiety and shallow sleep.
The research team has also clarified the safety usage regulations. Beginners should start soaking for 30 seconds and gradually increase it to 1-3 minutes. People with cardiovascular diseases and pregnant women should consult a doctor in advance. The water temperature of refrigeration equipment should not be lower than 5 ℃ to avoid low temperature overload stimulation. The relevant clinical achievements have been synchronously recorded in the sports rehabilitation training materials, and the standardized training for fitness centers and rehabilitation therapists has added courses on the standardized operation of cold foam equipment, which has driven a 27% increase in the purchase volume of commercial cold foam equipment compared to the previous period. With the continuous sinking of medical science popularization, the public's acceptance of controllable low-temperature cold therapy continues to increase. As a necessary hardware for standardized cold therapy, refrigeration equipment has a solid scientific foundation for the growth of market demand in the medium and long term.