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The wellness craze Zendaya says she’ll never do — and should other women skip it too?

Nypost · · 794 words · By Patrice Peck
Wellness Trends Gender-specific health responses Celebrity influence
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Claims checked 22
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center83%
Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

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Common ground

The “Odyssey” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” actress may be one of Hollywood’s biggest trendsetter, but there’s one wildly popular wellness trend she has zero interest in embracing — and according to one expert, women may actually be better off following her…

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/07/31/health/are-cold-plunges-good-for-women/

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 22 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 12
check_circle Corroborated 6
info Single Source 2
verified Verified By Reference 1
help Insufficient Evidence 1
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Claim 1: “cold therapy may also blunt muscle gains if it’s done within four hours of a muscle-building workout.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that cold water immersion can attenuate/blunt long-term gains in muscle mass and strength after strength exercise.
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web search NEUTRAL — Cold water immersion attenuated long term gains in muscle mass and strength. It also blunted the activation of key proteins and satellite cells in skeletal muscle up to 2 days after strength exercise.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4594298/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Claim - eating immediately after workout can inhibit the proper inflammation response to signal recovery pathways to begin. The increase in muscle protein synthesis and insulin sensitivity lasts far l…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJekzr_eslo
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web search NEUTRAL — Anyone aiming to build muscle specifically should postpone cold applications after strength training or avoid them entirely. Cold Therapy for Sports Injuries: Which Complaints Really Benefit? Cold doe…
https://www.medicalcorner24.co.uk/blog/cold-therapy-in-sport…
info
Claim 2: “Taking a dip in frigid water may help ease muscle soreness, especially after a difficult workout, because the cold constructs blood vessels, temporarily reducing swelling and inflammation to aid recovery.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided for this claim discusses the common cold (virus) and general temperature, but does not provide medical evidence regarding blood vessel constriction and muscle soreness recovery.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Coronaviruses are a group of viruses known for causing the common cold. They have a halo or crown-like (corona) appearance when viewed under an electron microscope. The common cold is an infection of …
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_cold
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web search NEUTRAL — Cold is the presence of low temperature, especially in the atmosphere. In common usage, cold is often a subjective perception. A lower bound to temperature is absolute zero, defined as 0.00 K on the K…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold
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web search NEUTRAL — The common cold is an upper respiratory infection that affects your nose, throat, sinuses and windpipe. Colds usually go away on their own within a week to 10 days.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/12342-common-…
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Claim 3: “women tend to tolerate heat better than men, particularly in saunas.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 4: “Those proteins trigger cellular changes that improve how muscles use both glucose and fat for energy.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
verified
Claim 5: “Exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist Dr. Stacy Sims challenged the benefits of cold plunging for women during an interview on “The Mel Robbins Podcast.””
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided Wikipedia results are irrelevant (discussing Spider-Man comics, Atlantic Records, and The Dick Van Dyke Show) and do not mention Dr. Stacy Sims or the Mel Robbins Podcast.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — "Spider-Man" is the name of multiple comic book superheroes from the Marvel Comics Multiverse. The original and most well known is Peter Parker created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko originating from the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_versions_of_Spider…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of artists who record, or who have recorded, for Atlantic Records. a division of Warner Music Group. Listed in parentheses are names of affiliated labels for which the artist recorded f…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Atlantic_Records_artis…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Dick Van Dyke Show is an American television sitcom. The series ran for five seasons on CBS, lasting 158 half-hour episodes, all filmed in black-and-white. Creator/writer Carl Reiner had told the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Dick_Van_Dyke_Show…
info
Claim 6: ““I’m definitely not a cold water girl,” she told Vogue.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of general Wikipedia biographies of Zendaya and does not contain the specific quote regarding cold water or Vogue.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman (/ zɛnˈdeɪ.ə / ⓘ zen-DAY-ə; [2] born September 1, 1996), known mononymously as Zendaya, is an American actress and singer. Her accolades include two Primetime Emmy Award…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zendaya
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — In 2022, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world. The movies where she plays the main role have made more than $3.9 billion around the world. Zendaya was born in Oa…
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zendaya
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Zendaya Coleman, dite simplement Zendaya (prononcé : [zənˈdeɪə]), née le 1er septembre 1996 à Oakland en Californie (États-Unis), est une actrice, productrice, mannequin, chanteuse et danseuse américa…
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zendaya
schedule
Claim 7: “the intense shock pushes a woman’s body into more of a shutdown phase by activating the sympathetic nervous system.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 8: “Some studies also suggest cold plunges may offer mental health benefits, including reduced stress and improved alertness and focus.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent web sources mention that research/studies suggest cold plunges can reduce stress and increase alertness/focus.
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web search NEUTRAL — Some studies also suggest cold plunges may offer mental health benefits, including reduced stress and improved alertness and focus.
https://nypost.com/2026/07/31/health/are-cold-plunges-good-f…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Can you do a cold plunge while breastfeeding? Cold plunges while breastfeeding lack extensive research; they may reduce milk supply due to vasoconstriction or cause dehydration, though some report inc…
https://heavenlyheatsaunas.com/blogs/wellness-insights/5-bes…
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web search NEUTRAL — Stress and alertness: Some research shows reduced stress and increased alertness, though effects on sleep and mood are still being studied. “With repeated exposure, the body adapts,” Elliott said.
https://www.bannerhealth.com/healthcareblog/teach-me/compari…
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Claim 9: “The “Odyssey” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” actress [Zendaya] may be one of Hollywood’s biggest trendsetter”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results and Wikipedia confirm Zendaya stars in 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' and 'The Odyssey'.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a 2026 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. Produced by Columbia Pictures, Marvel Studios, and Pascal Pictures, and distributed by Sony…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man:_Brand_New_Day
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Thomas Stanley Holland (born 1 June 1996) is a British actor. His accolades include a BAFTA Award as well as two Critics' Choice Awards nominations. His films as a lead actor have grossed over $9.9 bi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Holland
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman ( zen-DAY-ə; born September 1, 1996), known mononymously as Zendaya, is an American actress and singer. Her accolades include two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Glo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zendaya
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 10: “when women immerse themselves in ice-cold water, it triggers a much stronger stress response than it does in men.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided for this claim.
schedule
Claim 11: “Heat exposure also boosts blood flow to the brain and improves the ability of blood flow vessels to constrict and dilate efficiently”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 12: “A 2020 study on the gender differences in short-term cold exposure found no significant differences in thermogenic responses between young women and men.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 13: “Studies have found that pairing sauna sessions with regular exercise with sauna use may improve overall cardiorespiratory fitness.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 14: “Sims attributed the difference to women generally having more body fat and relying more heavily on vasodilation and vasoconstriction to regulate body temperature.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 15: “There is also preliminary evidence that cold therapy may support immune system function.”
CORROBORATED
Both a Wikipedia entry on Wim Hof (mentioning a 2024 meta-analysis) and a web article state that cold therapy/exposure may support immune function or reduce inflammation.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Hof markets a regimen called the Wim Hof Method (WHM), which involves willpower, exposure to cold water, and breathing techniques.[7] A 2024 meta-analysis of eight studies found that the method may re…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wim_Hof
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Some studies also suggest cold plunges may offer mental health benefits, including reduced stress and improved alertness and focus. There is also preliminary evidence that cold therapy may support imm…
https://nypost.com/2026/07/31/health/are-cold-plunges-good-f…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Immune System Support. Our products > Common Cold.If you love sea swimming or cold plunging and have a fairly regulated nervous system and balanced hormones, then you may be able to reap the benefits …
https://www.avogel.co.uk/health/periods/is-cold-plunging-doi…
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Claim 16: “Earric Lee, PhD, a Montreal Heart Institute researcher, told Stanford Lifestyle Medicine [that studies show improvements to health markers when combining exercise with sauna use]”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 17: “women’s bodies respond to sauna heat by producing heat shock proteins, which help protect cells from stress and support cellular repair.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 18: “Cold plunges involve climbing into icy water — usually between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit — and staying there from one to five minutes”
CORROBORATED
Two independent web sources (AOL and another article) specify the temperature range of 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit and the duration of one to five minutes.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 1994 North American cold wave occurred over the midwestern and eastern regions of the United States and southern Canada in January 1994. The cold wave caused over 100 deaths in the United States. …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_North_American_cold_wave
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A cold wave (known in some regions as a cold snap, cold spell, Arctic blast, or Arctic snap) is a weather phenomenon that is distinguished by a cooling of the air. Specifically, as used by the U.S. Na…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_wave
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Fahrenheit scale () is a temperature scale based on one proposed in 1724 by the physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736). It uses the degree Fahrenheit (symbol: °F) as the unit. Several acc…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 19: “Dominic King, a sports medicine physician, told Cleveland Clinic [that people get physical, mental and functional benefits from cold therapy].”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results explicitly state that sports medicine physician Dominic King told the Cleveland Clinic that ice baths/cold therapy offer physical, mental, and functional benefits.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The people listed below were all born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with the city of Cleveland, Ohio.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_from_Cleveland
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — WMMS (100.7 FM, "The Buzzard") is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, United States, serving Greater Cleveland and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio. Widely regarded as one of the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WMMS
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — WTAM (1100 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, that airs a news/talk and sports radio format, commonly known as "Newsradio WTAM 1100". Owned by iHeartMedia, WTAM serves Grea…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WTAM
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 20: “women typically begin by widening their blood vessels to release heat before sweating starts.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 21: “researchers did find that some metabolic and hormonal changes were more pronounced in women [in a 2020 study on cold exposure]”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 22: “a 2025 analysis published in PLOS One found that men — but not women — reported sleeping better after taking ice baths.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.