Thread by @KingPraha

Cold exposure to boost your health!

Let's talk about cold showers and winter swimming. We will talk about the nervous system and the implication for physical and psychological well being. #coldshower #icebath #Lifestyle #Health #ROAR

The cold-shock response is a simple method to make massive improvements for your life. I talked about temperature regulation in a former thread, which you can visit below.

https://twitter.com/KingPraha/status/1586398243386060800?s=20&t=AS7j0eoyzB3Mmha9mpKZgw

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To summarize, we know that our body works like a thermostat with thermoreceptors measuring our core (brain) and shell (skin) temperature. To adjust the temperature of our body our skin, muscles and adipose tissue play a major role.

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In a cold environment we have less blood flow trough our skin, shutting down our sweat glands and erecting our skin hairs (to make a trapped layer of insulating air). Brown adipose tissue and muscles (shivering) are activated to produce heat.

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If you go into really cold water your sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is activated leading to an even more pronounced reaction.

So what is the SNS?
It is part of the autonomic nervous system which regulates involuntary physiological processes in our body.

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This includes heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, digestion and sexual arousal.

It is classified into 3 systems: sympathetic (SNS), parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) and enteric nervous system (ENS).

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The sympathetic nervous system

Gets activated for fight and flight response in a state of stress. This means your heart rate goes up, you breath more (hyperventilation) and energy is released. Mediated via epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine and cortisol.

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The parasympathetic nervous system

Gets usually activated in a ‘rest and digest’ mode.
Your heart rate goes down, your breathing becomes more calm and slower and your visceral organs for digestion begin to work. Most of it is transmitted via the vagus nerve.

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Acute changes (physical)
Cold water is a stressor and activates the sympathetic nervous system. The first thought you will have is:

‘this is too cold, I need to get out’

which is normal response to protect your body.

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So the cold is going to shut down your blood flow through your skin to reduce heat loss and redistribute to your internal organs. It’s also going to stimulate your muscles to produce heat via shivering and your brown fat to produce energy.

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Acute changes (psychological)
But there is more to it. Usually stress only activates your sympathetic nervous system and not dopamine. But cold will also stimulate dopamine and serotonin which will lead to feelings of happiness and improved mood.

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Chronic changes
Cold exposure has the potential to lead to adaption so you will be used to cold environment and freeze less in winter. Noradrenalin also has the potential to convert your white fat (storage) to brown fat, which can produce heat via burning energy.

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Health benefits 1⃣
👉Immune system: 40% less upper respiratory tract infection (sinusitis, sore throat) with cold
water immersion. Fewer days off sick if taking cold showers

👉Metabolism: improved insulin sensitivity (protecting from diabetes), lower triglycerides

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Health benefits 2⃣
👉Cardiovascular: lower heart rate and lower blood pressure combined with the benefits in metabolism could reduce atherosclerosis and the risk of cardio- and cerebrovascular disease.

👉Pain: less joint pain and muscle ache

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Health benefits 3⃣
👉Recovery: better recovery after interval or endurance training.

❗️BUT not true for hypertrophy (bodybuilding) as it offsets the progress and cold water immersion should be done 4 hours after your workout. Cold showers should not be a problem❗️

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Psychological benefits 🧠
✏️Better mood and happiness due to serotonin and dopamine release
✏️Pain relief trough release of endorphins
✏️Better stress tolerance (''hardening'')

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Timing
Most of the benefits where shown with cold water immersion of 11 minutes per week. Not as clear for cold shower (much more difficult to measure). Has probably similar effects.
Start with 10s everyday for one week and increase gradually until you hit 90-120s.

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So let’s get started. Right now the temperature is nice to start winter swimming and gradually going into the winter as temperature decreases.
Don’t wait for next year. Do it now.

But remember to be safe and take someone with you.

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Further and more detailed information:

- Studies: Søberg Susanna, Sramek P.
- Books: The Wim Hof Method, Winter swimming
- Youtube: Huberman Lab on ice bath and cold benefits

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I am here to help everyone in Web3 and show the way to a healthy lifestyle.

Have any questions or need help❔

DM’s open and I am happy to help! #LFG

👉 Going back to the top for likes and retweets? Here is the short cut:

https://twitter.com/KingPraha/status/1597684997305290752