Cold water therapy is one of the key quantum living principles that we recommend for our men at Miller & Everton. We go deep into the science at subatomic (quantum) level of how this very simple but effective practice can magnify the physical and mental health of our men.
Maybe you’ve seen some of the pictures of other men online plunging into ice water or frozen lakes and thought… those men are crazy, why the heck would you do that?!
Let us help you out.
What Is Cold Water Therapy (Cold Thermogenesis)?
Cold thermogenesis is a physiological adaptation process that occurs when your body is exposed to cold temperatures through techniques such as cold water therapy.
The reason it’s called an adaptive process is that in order to maintain your body’s core temperature as you plunge into cold water, your body will start to shiver when you get out of the water to generate heat.
Benefits of Cold Water Therapy
There are a number of potential benefits to cold water therapy and cold thermogenesis, including:
Weight Loss
Whilst there are no long-term studies exploring this exact topic, in theory, cold thermogenesis will help you burn more calories which can lead to body fat and weight loss.
One short term study found that cold water immersion (14°C – a very cold bath!) increased metabolic rate by 350%. The authors weren’t looking at weight loss and hence, didn’t see if this practice led to changes in body composition.
Improved Cardiovascular Health
Assuming you are not at high risk for a heart attack, stroke or other coronary event; cold thermogenesis may help improve your cardiovascular health by increasing your heart rate temporarily and increasing blood flow.
Theoretically, this can help reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular problems if you haven’t already had one of these events! We personally feel that ‘grounding’, the practice of placing your hands and feet on the earth, has more demonstrated benefits for improving blood viscosity (how thick the blood is), as well as using sauna therapy for boosting cardiovascular fitness.
Boosted Immune System
Cold thermogenesis temporarily increases cortisol output, a compound released when we are under stress. Whilst the word ‘stress’ sounds bad, not all stress is!
In fact, applied in the right dose and amount, a planned ‘stress’ can bring out your best performance and boost health long term. A good example is exercise. When in the right dose and timing, as per our bespoke Excel and Executive programs, exercise can boost overall performance and protect against immunity.
The same is suggested with cold thermogenesis. During cold exposure, vitamin D and cortisol act together to help boost your immune system by increasing the production of white blood cells. This can help you fight off infection and disease long term.
Reduced Inflammation By Supporting Mitochondrial Health
We are huge fans of mitochondrial health. In fact, we talk about it so much with our men that they’re probably sick to death of it! Mitochondria and their role in energy production are rooted in our free Superman Protocol. So why not check that out if you want to learn more?
Cold thermogenesis improves the health of the mitochondria. By doing so, it may help reduce inflammation throughout your body. We know that uncontrolled ‘inflammation’ might be at the root of many diseases. This includes heart disease which is the number one killer of men around the world according to the British Heart Foundation
Improved Sleep
Cold thermogenesis may help improve your sleep quality. This is done by increasing the production of a hormone called melatonin when you’ve had poor sleep for a while.
Melatonin is normally thought of as a ‘sleep’ hormone, but it’s more of a ‘light’ hormone. Melatonin is produced in the pineal gland in the brain in response to early morning light. It is released later when the sun goes down to support the transition to sleep.
Now, the problem is, blue light exposure from devices such as smartphones, LED lighting, and tablets suppresses melatonin release making it difficult to fall asleep. An interesting study showed that cold thermogenesis appears to help improve this disrupted melatonin release when you’ve been sleep deprived for a while from blue light toxicity. Not sure what blue light toxicity is? Check out our free download ‘The most toxic thing in your office’.
Increased Wakefulness (energy) Levels & Motivation
Cold thermogenesis is a significant stressor to your body and causes the release of large amounts of adrenaline and cortisol that help wake you up!
Further, cold water therapy also leads to a rise in the catecholamine dopamine. Dopamine is normally thought of as a compound of ‘pleasure’ (due to being released in response to pleasurable activities such as eating chocolate or having sex etc). But a more accurate term would be motivation.
A study showed that cold water immersion (14 degrees) for 1 hour, raised dopamine concentrations in the brain by 500%. This is pretty impressive. But what’s even better is that the effects appear to grow over time, with baseline dopamine levels gradually trending upwards.
So You’re Convinced, But How Should You Do Cold Thermogenesis & Cold Water Therapy?
There are a number of things to consider which will help you understand whether cold exposure is likely to give you the large suggested benefits.
Consider Your Ancestry
We inherit our mitochondrial DNA from other mothers. So, given the benefits of cold thermogenesis are rooted in mitochondria activity, a good question to ask is where did your great-grandmother on your mothers’ side live in the world? Two to three generations ago, people could not move around as much as today. Hence, they were quite strongly tied to their local environment both in terms of light levels and temperature changes (there was no central heating or artificial light back then). So let’s say your great-grandmother on your mother’s side was from Finland (Northern European) – there’s a good chance you’ll get a lot of benefits (and be able to tolerate quite easily) cold thermogenesis.
Whereas, if your great-grandmother was from Nigeria, you’ll likely get less benefit and probably should be focusing on things like light (sun) exposure and heat (sauna) if you don’t live in that region. There’s no cut-and-paste protocol! We work with our men to consider all this in our Excel and Executive programs, so they know what to do.
Start Slow With Cold Showers
Taking cold showers is one of the most common ways to do cold thermogenesis. Start by taking a warm shower, and then gradually turn the water colder. You can stay in the cold water for as long as you can tolerate it and still get some of the benefits.
Cold plunging will ultimately be the best way, but this can help ease you into cold water therapy and get you used to it.
Cold Baths
A cold bath is another popular way to do cold thermogenesis and is typically the next step for most after they’ve tried cold showers.
Fill a bathtub with cold water. Then start with 1-2 minutes (your skin turning cherry pink is a sign you’re at the right temperature) and build up. The research, as we pointed out, had some individuals plunging for 1 hour.
General Cold Exposure
This is probably the most ‘ancestrally correct’ approach to cold thermogenesis. Humans did not elect to be in the cold but had to tolerate it. This could be because of where they lived or perhaps if they were hunting for food in lakes/fishing in the sea.
So, during the winter months, why not try doing a little training outside in the cold? (just be sure to warm up thoroughly). Even some yard work, gardening or just being in the cold for a small amount of time can give you the benefits of plunging.
Be Safe!
Cold water therapy is generally safe for most people. However, it is important to start slowly and gradually increase the amount of cold exposure over time, which is what our ancestors did. If you experience any adverse side effects, such as dizziness, nausea, or shortness of breath, stop immediately and warm up gradually.
If you have a heart condition, unstable angina, blood pressure concerns or recently had a heart attack, then cold thermogenesis should be approached with caution and under the watchful eye of your doctor.
Concluding Cold Water Therapy
Cold thermogenesis is a safe and effective way to boost your metabolism, improve your health, and lose weight.
If you are looking for a natural way to improve your health and well-being, cold thermogenesis is a great option.
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