Always consult a physician before starting any new cold exposure activity like cold water immersion, winter swimming, or cryotherapy. This is especially important if you have coronary or other heart-related risk factors, or before attempting contrast therapy (rapid hot to cold transitions).
Incorporate activities like exercise, intermittent fasting, heat stress (sauna), and cold stress (cold water immersion/cryotherapy) into your routine. These act as short-term stressors that trigger cellular responses, building resilience and providing a net gain in health.
Do not use cryotherapy, cold water immersion, or ice packs immediately after strength training, as it may blunt long-term muscle hypertrophy and strength gains. This interference occurs by disrupting the beneficial inflammatory processes necessary for muscle repair and growth.
Exercise extreme caution regarding the timing of cold modalities (cryotherapy, cold water immersion, ice packs) when strength training. The first hour after exercise is an important anabolic window, and mistimed cold stress may have deleterious consequences.
Immerse yourself in cold water at 57°F (14°C) for one hour to significantly increase norepinephrine (by 530%) and dopamine (by 250%). These neurotransmitters are involved in vigilance, focus, attention, and mood.
To increase plasma norepinephrine two to threefold, either immerse in 40°F (4.4°C) cold water for 20 seconds, or undergo whole body cryotherapy at -166°F (-110°C) for two minutes. Both protocols were shown to be effective when done three times a week for 12 weeks.
Utilize cold water immersion or whole body cryotherapy to increase norepinephrine, which may serve as a preventative measure to lower general and brain inflammation. This can help attenuate a major contributor to aging and potentially mitigate processes linked to depression and anxiety.
Supplementing with melatonin may enhance the activation of the cold shock protein RBM3 and help lower core body temperature. This could potentially aid in the neuroprotective effects associated with cold exposure, such as synapse regeneration.
Engage in cryotherapy for three minutes at -202°F (-103°C) daily for 20 days to double glutathione reductase activity and increase superoxide dismutase by 43%. This boosts the body’s potent genetic antioxidant systems, which are crucial for mitigating cellular damage.
For a robust increase in antioxidant enzymes, elite kayakers used whole body cryotherapy at -248°F to -284°F (-120°C to -140°C) for three minutes a day for 10 days. This protocol increased superoxide dismutase by 36% and glutathione peroxidase by 68%.
To achieve a more robust activation of powerful antioxidant systems like superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, engage in cryotherapy more frequently. The increase in antioxidant enzyme activity was shown to require multiple sessions.
To increase brown adipose tissue by 37% and non-shivering thermogenesis, expose yourself to air temperatures of 59-61°F (15-16°C) for six hours a day for 10 consecutive days. This can help burn fat and boost metabolism.
To increase mitochondrial biogenesis in muscle tissue, immerse yourself in cold water at 50°F (10°C) for 15 minutes, three times a week for four consecutive weeks, after running. This process is regulated by PGC1-alpha and improves aerobic capacity.
After high-intensity running, expose yourself to cold water (around 50°F or 10°C) for 15 minutes to increase PGC1-alpha in muscle tissue. PGC1-alpha is the master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis, which enhances aerobic capacity.
To improve cycling performance, elite cyclists immersed in cold water (around 59.5°F or 15.3°C) for 15 minutes, 30 minutes post-training, four times a week for 39 days. This resulted in increased sprint power, repeat cycling performance, and overall power.
Elite runners experienced a 20% increase in speed and power up to two days later by engaging in whole-body cryotherapy 1, 24, or 48 hours post-hill sprinting. This performance enhancement may be attributed to reduced inflammation and increased anti-inflammatory factors.
For enhanced tennis performance and reduced inflammation, elite players used whole-body cryotherapy at -184°F (-120°C) twice daily (morning and evening) for five days while training in the afternoon. This led to a 4% increase in stroke effectiveness and reduced TNF-alpha.
To improve plyometric performance (e.g., squat jumps, leg curls) and reduce pain, engage in whole body cryotherapy at -220°F to -319°F (-140°C to -195°C) one hour after exercise. This protocol showed benefits up to 72 hours post-treatment.
For arthritis pain reduction, consider whole body cryotherapy at approximately -166°F (-110°C) for 2 to 3 minutes, three times a week for one week. This protocol led to significant pain reduction in patients with arthritis, possibly due to reduced inflammatory cytokines.
Apply local cryotherapy to affected tissues to inhibit harmful collagenase activity, an enzyme that breaks down collagen and plays a role in arthritis. It also helps decrease the production of inflammatory E2-series prostaglandins.
Consider using cold showers as a potential method to prevent and treat depression, as anecdotal evidence suggests cold exposure improves mood. This effect may be linked to a robust release of norepinephrine in the brain.
Engage in long-term cold water immersion three times a week for six weeks to increase lymphocyte numbers, which are important immune cells. Habitual winter swimmers also show higher white blood cell counts compared to non-habitual swimmers.
Expose yourself to a cold room (around 4°C or 41°F) for 30 minutes to increase natural killer T cell number and activity. Natural killer T cells are a type of immune cell that kills viruses and tumor cells.
Consider engaging in winter swimming, as epidemiological studies suggest an association with a 40% decreased incidence of respiratory tract infections. This may be linked to increased white blood cell numbers.
Consider consuming fish oil, as studies in mice suggest it can increase metabolism and reduce fat accumulation by 15-25%. This effect was shown to be likely occurring through a brown adipose tissue-mediated mechanism.