Deliberate exposure to cold is nothing new within the realms of performance sports and has been harnessed routinely by coaches and athletes alike for its perceived improvements in recovery and performance. More recently however, a growing number of people have started to ponder how deliberate exposure to cold could aid their physical and mental state and thankfully recent research has started to explore this protocol in greater detail.

Exposing one’s self to cold can obviously be done in many different ways, however the most popular and accessible means include cold water exposure in the form of submergence, think ice bath, or through the use of a shower which many people have access to at home. Most if not all of the research uses submergence as the method as the variables are much easier to control, we can however conclude that some of the benefits discussed can be accessed via showering at low temperatures.

It’s important to note at this point that the ‘ideal’ cold is a temperature that initially feels uncomfortable and of which you want to move out of or away from but can expose yourself to without ill effect or injury. 

When exploring the potential benefits of this exposure, we can divide the discussion into two parts, the changes that occur on a physiological level and those that occur on a psychological level. 

The Psychological

Many practitioners of cold exposure do so in order to build mental resilience. This is defined by an individual’s ability to cope with difficult events and situations, or to improve their mood and or energy levels. Cold exposure is a stressor, however not all stressors are equal. In short eustress is a positive stress and with it brings positive adaptations and distress is the negative kind of stress we often associate with the word. Exposure to cold temperatures is a form of eustress and with it brings positive adaptations when used as a protocol. Using resilience and grit to endure a length of time submerged in cold water for example is often way outside of many peoples comfort zone, however doing so usually brings a sense of empowerment and positive changes in mood and energy levels due to chemical changes in the brain involving spikes in adrenaline and dopamine. One of the initial barriers and perhaps the most important to overcome is the actual act of entering the cold environment. This usually triggers a battle of fight or flight where to fight is to enter the environment and endure and flight is the act of putting the exposure off or abandoning it entirely. If fight is chosen and this initial barrier is overcome, an individual has gone a long way in overwriting their primal preference for comfort and safety. This act alone can aid in an individual’s ability to overcome self-doubt and step out of comfort zones in other aspects of life. When in the cold environment you will likely face a mental challenge to get comfortable in an otherwise uncomfortable surrounding. This often incorporates deep breathing to calm and focus the mind and relax the body. This is a transferrable skill that can be used to avoid panic when under pressure in other situations. The cold will no doubt help to focus the mind on the present and brings a very immediate necessity to in some way overcome the challenge. 

The Physiological 

Beyond matters of mental resilience, cold exposure is used extensively for its physical benefits which include an increased rate of recovery, heightened metabolism and increased fat loss. Cold exposure serves to decrease inflammation via releasing norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter. Reducing inflammation serves to allow the body to recover faster from bouts of physical activity such as exercise and in turn can reduce the amount of time needed between these bouts, allowing more work to be done in a given amount of time therefore leading to greater adaptations. Reducing inflammation also has positive benefits outside of the realm of exercise as inflammation is linked to many common illnesses and injuries. Cold temperatures may also be used to increase metabolism through a change in fat cells. When exposed to cold, white fat cells can become beige cells which take on the characteristics of brown fat cells in that they are metabolically active. Containing mitochondria, these darker cells burn energy in order to generate heat, this in turn positively correlates with an increased metabolism. From a body composition perspective, a larger amount of brown fat or beige fat is a positive thing and cold exposure is the quickest way to achieve this.

Finally, cold exposure doesn’t have to be an ordeal; however it is important to align the protocol accordingly based on what results you wish to gain. Fairly reasonable temperatures have health benefits on the human body and the more you expose yourself to cold, the less uncomfortable the cold will feel. As with any change, the best approach is to start small and build up, be that in regards to time exposed, temperature or both as well as the method used.

Next time you shower, consider turning the temperature down. Just don’t expect it to be comfortable the first time around.