I think the largest benefit of short term cold exposure is mental. I believe studies show it dramatically improves dopamine and serotonin levels over a prolonged period. Also decreases pain sensitivity or at least the subjective ability to handle pain (which most people severely lack), among other things. I also remember that while Wim Hof’s brown fat was normal, his brain’s wiring around his endocannaboid system was extremely pronounced - implying his brain can make a ton of Anamide (which THC mimics) to offset uncomfortable stimulus. Seems like an extremely useful adaptions considering the amount of people today struggling with mental health and opioid dependence. Health isn’t just physical
absolutely has helped me deal with confrontations where i'd lose control or get angry, or holding planks or running longer/harder. helps me keep my cool in situations where i would previously give in to my weakness
It has been rigoursly proven beyond any doubt that cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and base testosterone levels. The only thing we dont know is whether cold plunges AFTER a workout descreases hypertrophy, due to the fact that it decreases muscle soreness. I can't believe Thomas Lauer didn't mention that crucial detail. Very misinformed video. Cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and testosterone, cold plunges AFTER a workout might not. End of story.
@@recyfer if there weren't MANY studies about this proving what I said, why tf would I make the claim? Like literally why the fuck would I want to convince people of something I myself don't believe wtfff
My Benefits from Wim Hof breathing and cold showers have been all psychological/mental, I have no idea if it has done anything physically, but my anxiety and panic attacks are WAY better with doing these things. I definitely appreciate it no matter what current studies do or do not say though 😊
Reason why it worked is because you are cooling your Vagus Nerve. The vagal nerves are the main nerves of your parasympathetic nervous system. ( so your digestion, heart rate, nervous system and immune system functions that you cannot consciously control). So vagus nerve WILL help to disengage your sympathetic nervous system ( fight or flight).
placeebo effect If I labeled a water bottle full of water "energy drink" and I told you to drink it you would say "I feel energy when I drink that" and its full of normal water not a energy drink
I’ve been ending my showers the last 1.5 years with cold water (1min minimum), and if I do this every other day, I’m no longer allergic to dust (zero reaction). 100% better than medication against my allergy
I have done 229 Ice baths. I deal with 2 rare diseases which used to leave me in bed half the day everyday. The two things that have done the most to get me out of bed and feeling a lot less pain is being carnivore and doing ice baths. I now do crossfit.
My guess is you were autoimmune. Cold uncouples mitochondria and allows better flow of electrons. Pair that with an anti inflammatory diet and that’s why you’re killing it. Glad to hear you’re doing well bud
You mentioned how plunging can be detrimental if your goal is muscle building or strength gains…but from everything I’ve read, that’s only the case if you plunge immediately after a lifting session. So ideally you’d plunge first thing in the morning…or at least 4 hours after your work out.
I have read this too. I have started plunging and my plan is to do it on my non strength training days (3 days strength, 3 days cardio) so basically every other day.
"that's only the case if you plunge immediately" no, there is no data on cold plunge after x hours. It's only a speculation that 4 hours is enough, the idea originate from Andy Galpin that said "theoretically". We know that the inflammation after workout occurs for some days (and others signals like MPS) and so that maybe even cold plunging 24 hours after is not enough. Maybe it's "less bad" ? But there is no data. So my only advice would be to cold plunge like 48h after your workout for being sure. That said, even if i do cold plunge daily it seems that it's wayyyy overhyped - the brown fat thing is very bullshit you will maybe burn 50 extra calories a day. - the dopamine increases seems cool but the only data is for 1 hour cold plunging at 14 degrees celsius. So there is no info on the efficiency of shorter time. - Adrenaline is cool but seems to only last a few minutes, it's not like coffee biologically speaking with a effect that will last. So I think to switch to cold shower because it's more practical and since the only benefits seems to be psychological/placebo it should works. (Sorry if there is some grammatical errors i'm not a native speaker)
I know, but I just can’t bring myself to do it first thing in the morning. But… hypertrophy is good, and if that’s a huge priority for you, totally fine and understandable. But it sometimes send like the obsession with trying to do every possible thing to maximize you your gains goes a little too far, and gets taken up by people who aren’t even serious bodybuilders anyway. I’m 41. I play everyday…do handstands, cartwheels, archery, punching bag, animal crawls, throw and swing heavy things… because it’s awesome. I have the best physique I’ve ever had in my life, and I’ve always been at least somewhat athletic. If maximal puffiness was my number one priority I’d do steroids or something.
And that’s when it’s most valuable. Cold Plunges are for the mind, more than the body. It does have beneficial physical properties, but it’s mostly a mind strengthening exercise.
Look, the point of cold plunges is not for the health. Are you posting it up on social media? Are you making sure you're getting likes every time you get in the cold plunge? These are the questions one must really ask.
Last week's video was cold exposure is so good for you. This week's video is they are neutral for you. Next week's video is they are bad for you. The following week's video is they are good for you. This is basically Thomas's channel now.
What’s interesting is that the title here would suggest ice baths are harmful, and yet his coverage of the subject here suggests they are neutral. Doesn’t he mention something in this video about the mismatch between some “scientific studies” and their clickbait titles? Doesn’t seem very “nuanced” to me…or scientific.
@@michaelasher737 look at all his other videos about how good cold exposure is. Regardless of these stupid studies to rapid fire out videos, tell us what you believe in based on your own research and experience. I feel I can't trust any of the new videos anymore as they just get contradicted the next week. Ugh. Back to Dr. Berg.
I thought dopamine was bad, wasnt that what all the self help gurus have been saying? I think if its OK I'd rather get my dopamine fix from exercise or weed
I have been ending my shower in ice cold shower … I count to 200 slowly … for three years since I started fasting I feel like it helps me be healthier and stronger and get my mind focused. I am 62 and I am maintaining my perfect weight for the last three years. I believe. Haha
I believe that going from hot shower for x amount of time to cold shower for x amount of time has had some studies done where it reflects improving the immune system. I've been doing the same thing for a bit over a year.
Where in nature would this phenomenon occur? Warmth and warm water are serious technological inovations that your ancestors would kill to have access to. And you're so bored with your life you need to force pain upon yourself for the sake of feeling tough.
Just turned 62 and same thing.Unfortunately though the water is not cold in summer here in the sonoran desert of Arizona.Hopefully not the case for you ☺
Thomas always judges things on how they make you "ripped" or "Buff" or "cut". Not what I'm looking for. Cold exposure improves mental toughness and endurance, also helps your immune system. Aerobic exercise helps you to run or hike longer --- which is used for survival, hunting, sight-seeing, adventuring.
I’ve just started, I’m not trying to get ripped or bulk up. I’m 56 and trying to feel better and it is working for me on many levels. I’m going to continue for many years to come.
I've been cold water surfing for over 35 years and I don't need any study to tell me how good cold water is for you/.....ive been called every name in the book, it feels amazing mind body and spirit being in cold water, this "trendiness" is nothing a lot of us have known for a lifetime
At the end of the day the proof is in the pudding. I have been cold plunging for about 2 months daily for 3-5 minutes in the evening after my last training session. I started at 59-61 degrees and currently around 55-57 degrees. It has helped me sleep, decreased soreness and mentally it has been a huge help. I think the popularity of it is because people are experiencing benefits and it's a natural human reaction to want to share with others even if it seems annoying etc... and the other reason for it's popularity is financial for those wanting to cash in on this craze.
I have heard experts say that you should NOT cold plunge AFTER resistance training because it will reduce gains. I.e. the swelling and pain after a workout IS your body repairing and building muscle... so if you are seeking to build muscle ice baths will reduce your gains. They recommend ice baths before workouts and / or at least 4 hours AFTER workouts. Just food for thought.
A Korean style cold pool is best. I have many chronic injuries from gymnastics and once i started soaking 30 minutes every week in a cold pool it was near miraculous the relief i got. Cold plunges are more extreme and honestly i don't think they're as effective as simply bathing in cool water.
I so much agree that there is way too little talk about just swimming/sitting in coldish water. I swim in a lake in Denmark in the Summer time, and it is not super cold in any way but it is enough to make me shiver an hour later maybe if I stayed long enough in it. I get in a much better mood when I do it, and I decrease swelling in my body. That even happens in 28 degrees water (simply need to pee more after). Water does not have to be super cold to have an effect.
Ok been cold plunging for a week (3 mins a time in 4 degC water) and basically noticed these improvements: Stress reduced. Work outs much better (more focused and more intense) No afternoon lull at work Skin improvement (I know, already!) General alertness Can’t say about fat loss but in going to cover this on my channel - I’ve tracked my weight, training minutes and daily calories for years so will have a good base of data to compare this post Christmas period. 🚀
It's all mental benefits. You NEVER get used to the cold. You go through the torture for a awhile and when you're done, you feel like a million bucks and when the hard stuff happens in your life you can deal with it easier.
I believe ppl are mostly doing it for that dopamine hit. There are plenty of studies where ppl in cold climate live longer. Bottom line is, human bodies are amazing. They adapt and adapt and adapt. I mean ever watch 600lb life... That's some adaptation haha
So you're saying that if I bang my toe with a hammer then I'll have an amazing feeling of euphoria after I stop because I survived? I think there is more than torture going on
that is not true. My friend does Winter bathing in a lake, and she just seems to enjoy it. Only the first maybe 30 seconds max are a bit uncomfortable to her. I am not the same. I have a stronger reaction to it and need to take it slower and will only feel the heat in the legs standing in very cold water after a couple of minutes where it gets to feel more pleasant. Even better mixed with sauna in and out several times.
You didn't discuss the evidence for it's effect on mood. That seems to be fairly promising. Reducing anxiety and depression has a positive affect on everything health related.
Yeah iirc it has pretty significant effects on norepinephrine which probably accounts for (atleast in part) its mood boosting/anti-depressive benefits.
It has been rigoursly proven beyond any doubt that cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and base testosterone levels. The only thing we dont know is whether cold plunges AFTER a workout descreases hypertrophy, due to the fact that it decreases muscle soreness. I can't believe Thomas Lauer didn't mention that crucial detail. Very misinformed video. Cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and testosterone, cold plunges AFTER a workout might not. End of story.
@@NofirstnameNolastname In that a reduction in systemic inflammation, one of the mechanism by which it is thought to improve mood can be caused by placebo, then yeah it could be placebo. Cold plunging objectively reduces inflammation (that's why it is potentially problematic after a work out) and plenty of studies have shown the link between high systemic inflammation and anxiety/depression. It also measurably and significantly increases dopamine and noradrenaline also shown independently to have benefits to mood, again possibly placebo,. There is no way to placebo control a cold plunge. However, when you see an effect and there is multiple mechanisms in play that have independently been shown to cause that effect, then that's about as good as it gets. It's called triangulation, and is used when randomised placebo controlled trails are either not possible or ethical. Personally I found Andrew Huberman's podcast on cold exposure to be far more balanced and detailed.
Since I started cold showers abot 1.5 year ago I stopped having any infection apart from having covid for a week last year. Apart from that I have no cold, no sneezing, no cough, nothing. In the past ofen had problems with upper airways and chest infections.
I lost 20 lbs after doing cold showers for about 6 months despite changing nothing in my diet or exercise. I had to take a break because i don't have a lot of body fat to spare and i started losing muscle mass. I've found the benefits actually have to do with when you do your cold exposure: never do it after your workout, do it 20 min before. If you do it after, your already-sped-up metabolism speeds up further from the cold, burning off calories that your muscles need right then at the moment of workout recovery. You also constrict blood flow to the muscles, further starving them, all you'll do is waste away. If you do it beforehand, it serves as more of a kickstart to ramp up the intensity in your training, but the cold exposure hasn't amped up your metabolism quite as much as the workout would've from the reverse.
We really don’t need all these studies. Actually the only study that you need is how you feel after you do it overtime. I’ve been doing it and I can’t say it’s always pleasant but I keep wanting to do it.
The most important benefit and improvement is mental and not physical. There are physical aspects to consider too but the ability to mentally overcome an uncomfortable condition plunges you into an unstoppable state where the placebo effect kicks in so you improve your overall health and lifestyle.
It has been rigoursly proven beyond any doubt that cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and base testosterone levels. The only thing we dont know is whether cold plunges AFTER a workout descreases hypertrophy, due to the fact that it decreases muscle soreness. I can't believe Thomas Lauer didn't mention that crucial detail. Very misinformed video. Cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and testosterone, cold plunges AFTER a workout might not. End of story.
My experience with cold showers (every day) and cold plunge (2 a week): - less inflamation - better / healthier skin - more energy - faster recovery - a bit faster metabolism I just feel better every possible way after getting that cold water.
Of course you "feel" better afterwards. You successfully survived death. Your body is full of adrenaline and stress hormones. It reduces your lifespan.
@@sebk174 It's not even close to near death experience. I've survived 3 near death experiences and I know what real stress and andrenaline are. Cold water is no stress for me. I don't agree that cold reduces lifespan - the opposite. I know, knew, some people age 90+ and even 100+ living in Sweden, Finland, Norway. All were/are cold lovers. My observation: body ages slower, a lot stronger immune system, far less diseases. All that without fasting, a lot of fish in their diet, smokers, drinking vodka. Hard to compare many decades of a certain ifestyle with short time studies
Most studies are useless word salads designed for funding handouts. Highly recommend ice cold therapy to anyone who suffers with Rheumatoid Arthritis. I'll be turning 50 soon and it has made a massive positive changes to my life since i began 5 years ago, especially in supressing flare ups, stiffness, mental fatigue and my overall endurance and energy levels.
Thank you for this comment! I am desperate and ordered a full-size body icepack on Amazon today, hoping at least for some relief. Your comment makes me think I made the right decision.
@@funnycalicocat3690 If not doing so already see a Rheumatologist if your pain is crippling. Get the inflammation down and under control first so you can function. A short 12 month cycle of DMARD's, Plaquenil & Methotrexate treatment as an early treatment do work very well and will slow the likely possibility of bone fusing as you age. Then work towards getting off them. Cortisone injections are preferable long term than DMARD's. step 1) RA is triggered in the gut. Diet & gut biome is THE most important thing you must get control of. Most if not all RA sufferers have terrible diets. Eliminate all processed foods, starch foods, soy,corn & its derivatives, cows milk (switch to goat, almond or coconut) and most of all SUGAR. You need to be militant about sugar, soy & corn as it is everything these days except fresh food. 2) Eliminate or have an outlet for stress. 2) Add Ginger, Curcumin, Boswelia, Cats Claw, Devils Claw & high dose Vitamin D( with K2) supplements to your diet. 3) Regular Intermittent fasting. start simple, 1 day a week. 6 -12 hr fast. Lemon water or coffee or tea only. build up to a goal of a 20Hr fast. As Thomas and many others have preached for years, it will totally rejuvenate your body and mind. It literally resets your immune system and stress levels. 4) Super cold shock therapy. Showers are fine for beginners, but they just dont cut it. It must be ice cold. DIY an icetub if you dont have access to natural ice cold water.
Your title is clickbait. I'll think twice before I watch more of your videos. Love that you criticized a study for not showing what was in the title then you did the same thing.
It has been rigoursly proven beyond any doubt that cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and base testosterone levels. The only thing we dont know is whether cold plunges AFTER a workout descreases hypertrophy, due to the fact that it decreases muscle soreness. I can't believe Thomas Lauer didn't mention that crucial detail. Very misinformed video. Cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and testosterone, cold plunges AFTER a workout might not. End of story.
Andy Galpin cites studies that show cold exposure after strength training can attenuate gains in highly trained people. For us amateurs the effect is not as clear cut. I do my 5-7 minute daily cold shower first thing in the early morning before going to gym. I hate the cold shower while I am in it but the payoffs I get throughout the rest of the day are huge. I don’t remember the last time I used anything but full cold water for my shower.
my dad used to end his hot showers with cold for maybe 30 seconds, and he did much much better then than later. He stopped that important habit, and he ended up ind bed all the time, dizzy and unable to do much until his death several years later.
If you look at liver king because of cold plundge but not wim hof that’s crazy. He’s living proof of the benefits. Liver king is a walking talking roid
I don't know what it does to me. Normally I'm very picky about what exercise I do to stay healthy. But cold water plunging in nature is the only thing that really makes me feel good for days. It helps balance my moods, it helps me feel better and I do not feel sore from working out if I plunge after a workout.
I think the cold water is 'poking' the survival response and that's why it improves insulin resistance and up-regulates glucose. I think swimming in a cold stream or pond or whatever, probably a good thing.
It's really the shivering that causes the release of succinate and creation of more mitochondria in fat cells. This same effect can be achieved by using a vibration plate, or even just hopping around and jiggling a bit! And remember, if you don't shiver from the cold exposure you don't get this effect at all.
It has been rigoursly proven beyond any doubt that cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and base testosterone levels. The only thing we dont know is whether cold plunges AFTER a workout descreases hypertrophy, due to the fact that it decreases muscle soreness. I can't believe Thomas Lauer didn't mention that crucial detail. Very misinformed video. Cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and testosterone, cold plunges AFTER a workout might not. End of story.
as long as studies dont show that im actively being harmed by cold plunging, I dont care one way or the other about anything else. All I know is that I feel amazing after a plunge and that coffee tastes fantastic right afterward.
Theres a chinese man in my town. He looks no older than 50. One day we asked him his age. He said he was around 90. We asked what his secret was and he said that he just plunged everyday into an bathub full of ice. This was probably 5-10 years ago. Maybe we cannot explain it but it definitively helps.
It uncouples mitochondria which allows for more electrons to flow through the tiny engines of your body. If you do this while having a source for new electrons (ie the sun), it’s like supercharging your body. You can heal virtually anything using that method.
as far as weight loss and hypertrophy go...i have my own study lol. i have been lifting heavy for about 3 months now and i have essentially burned fat at the exact same rate as i built muscle. i started working out at around 186 lbs, was on a specific diet, and weighed myself the exact same time every day before i started my workout. i was 186 the entire time give or take a pound and a half. i started ice bathing once a day, prior to my workout to avoid losing gains (because getting in the ice after a workout negatively effects hypertrophy) and noticed my weight drop pretty significantly. my ice baths were typically around 44 degrees, sometimes 47, sometimes 41, and i normally do 5 minutes minimum, but sometimes i will stay in for 10 or even 13 minutes if I'm feeling safe about it (fully submerged to the neck, and i always dunk my head within the first minute so that i lose 30% more body heat. i think this increases thermogenesis and makes your body burn more calories throughout the day) within a week i was down to about 182. but have since come back up to about 184 (started slacking on the diet) but i'm definitely losing fat, not muscle and i feel better than ever! its been about 2 weeks now i can't have a bad day! even when i feel down on myself and things are not going my way...I'm still legitimately happy lol i don't get it. but I've now moved my ice bath to 7 a.m. first thing in the morning. this morning was 39 degrees and i did 4 minutes. THAT'S ROUGH!!
Thanks Tom, another great video. We know cold plunging and cold exposure increases dopamine for several hours after, increasing the feeling of happiness and boosting energy. I suspect, that increase causes people to unwittingly make better decisions pertaining to health and lifestyle, which potentially lead to weight loss, increased fitness and better health. So maybe it’s affect on mental health is the actual benefit. Just my theory.
if cold plunging raises blood oxygen levels, then by proxy it also raises blood pH....if blood pH is raised then it's not hard to fathom that cells will work better, which means autophagy would be ramped up.
This video sort of spits in the face of Huberman's interview with Dr. Soberg. I'd like to see Thomas directly address Huberman's points here. Though both sides agree that you don't ice bath to lose weight, I find it funny that Thomas didn't review the mental benefits of ice bathing, like the surge in dopamine, that can have other positive effects on the body. Also, despite the Sim Hof comparison, Soberg also looked at people who swam in the Nordic seas and found that they absolutely did have higher levels of brown fat.
@@ThomasDeLauerOfficial Hey Thomas, thanks for getting back to me. I've been watching most of your videos for two years now so I'm a big fan. We agree that there certainly needs to be more studies on the benefits/drawbacks of cold plunging. Susanna Soberg does have some pretty good studies and data points that are contrary to the points made in your video. ruclips.net/video/x3MgDtZovks/видео.html If you read the studies and can shoot some holes in them, I'd certainly love to hear your point of view. For instance, I acknowledge the study on Wim Hof and his twin. But Soberg also studied Danish people that swam in the cold ocean and they clearly had more brown fat than those that didn't use cold exposure. I'd love to see another cold plunging video in the future after you've looked at Soberg's studies. (also, I apologize if my first comment seemed rude)
Maniac Vs "Not Maniac", Dude, You're Awesome! Your deep dive into science, coupled with your razor-sharp analysis and pro-level presentation, is like a masterclass in physiology knowledge - absolutely mind-blowing! Keep up the great work. We appreciate you!
I can 100% tell you right now from a truama healing perspective cold showers and cold water is good and very helpful for the body for ANYONE. If they do cold showers for weight loss or calorie burning that doesn't work or do much in that area. Also important to say what level of cold is impacting muscle breakdown.
Cold bathing water is all that was available for most people living in temperate climates prior to the industrial revolution. Furthermore, ancient public bath houses had little concept of microbial hygiene because germs are a relatively recent discovery. Even so, people learned to avoid the non-chlorinated bath houses if they had an open wound that could lead to an infection (such as a fresh cut or scab). It wasn't until the 1920s and 1930s that electric and gas water heaters became widely available and affordable, making hot water a standard feature in American homes. Prior to that, a warm bath required burning wood or coal to heat up the water which was/is quite inefficient. To summarize, a cold bath or shower is normal. Warm/hot baths or showers are a luxury. Having said that, no one in their right mind jumps into a frozen lake or river.
Maastricht university is already 10 years busy studying cold temperature expose to cure diabetes 2. And yes they already have seen insulin resistance improved by 27% already after a few sessions.
The one benefit that is very real is is teaches you relax into discomfort and accept it till it is no longer even a real discomfort. It sort of turns down the volume on unpleasantness in the rest of your life. It sounds like a small subtle thing, but it isn't.
I ran a marathon once and literally walked from the finish line to a nearby icy cold pool. Kicked off my sneakers and walked into the cold water still wearing my shorts and tank top. I had zero delayed onset soreness that night or the next day. Don't trust others' studies more than your own experience. That said - You don't NEED to cold plunge DAILY to get the benefits. All these people overdosing on it are overdoing it. Just use it when you need it.
I used to do a sauna and 3 cold showers alternately after lifting heavy weights about 3 times per week. I did notice a sence of invigoration after the cold showers which lasted about an hour afterward. I find, personally, that I get longer-lasting energy and sense of vitality from the workouts alone, which require mental stamina and pain-tolerance. It would be interesting to see a study showing people's levels of concentration and willingness to take action in general.
I have been ending my shower with cold water for over a year now. But I looked into it for my husband, but it is not a good idea with his health problems. But for me I love it.
What we need on a daily basis: infrared sunlight, to help our mitochondria with natural melatonin. Sun is life. Don't forget to receive blue light in the morning before 9. It sets your circadian rhythm and your cortisol level during the day. Pivotal for productive day and restful sleep.
I found a study saying it actually impairs muscle recovery a few months ago and stopped trying to do it. My body hated it with each attempt. Chinese medicine says cold is terrible for women's fertility. They've had a long time to figure that out. I would go between hot and cold to move the lymph but briefly in the cold, if at all. I think it's all psychological.
Don't do it. It's extremely stressful. Your body has to protect you from dieing. Can't believe that so much people are stupid and don't recognise it. It reduces your lifespan.
Although it makes my mind stronger, gives me dopamine and helps with my muscles having better recovery, I stopped showering with cold showers because I'm kinda of allergic to it, it gives some weird acne or similar to that to my skin, it may be because of the stress that the body feels when showering with cold water, I don't know, all I know is that now my skin is flawless again. Best
@@orsondeneus4289 I came back with cold showers and now for some reason I don't have that weird allergic reaction, maybe because my immune system is stronger now and I also have less cortisol, don't know but it could be that. Best
In terms of heat exposure, I take the natural route: I don't use heating or air conditioning. It may or may not help or hinder my health. It is, however, far cheaper and environmentally sound. My only deliberate cold exposure is running a blast of cold water at the end of a warm shower. I have no idea if it does anything for my health, but not climbing out of a steaming hot shower certainly reduces perspiration/body odor. If I have a hot shower I can smell myself the moment I turn off the tap. This doesn't happen when I cool my skin before exit.
I live in NW Canada. Getting cold is easy, for most of the year I just have to stand/sit outside in a t-shirt and shorts. lol A great hack for assisting those with type 2 to burn glucose reserves, and improve ketone levels. Thanks for the info!
Is it good and beneficial to have cold shower before sleep? I absolutely love having cold showers in the evening and absolutely hate having them in the morning (just the opposite of what everyone is saying that should be done). What is your opinion on this topic?
You want to have a warm shower before bed so it forces your body to cool down your core body temperature, which supposedly improves falling asleep better.
I feel I sleep better and also maintain a more comfortable body temperature (regardless of whether it's hot or cold out) when taking a cold shower before bed... I'd say go with what 'feels' right for you and your body
for me its purely mental, there is nothing more stressful in my day than what my mind goes through getting in, and I did it to myself so everything else throughout the day is minimal
I just open the window here in Sweden and sleep with it open while my body shiver and that comes and goes. Is 21 minus Celsius degrees here and it the shivering we want to get says Huberman.. when I wanna get warm I just pull the goose feather blanket over me
For me its simple. Shower with some time colder and colder water at the end in the morning to wake up properly. Shower with warm to hot water after a workout.
Nice video man! I'm a trucker and I can't shower everyday and I'm a gym freak. I started taking cold showers about 2 years ago and I absolutely love it. I can't do cold plunges either what's the alternative for me that will give me the same results as cold showers/ cold plunges please help
It’s not a social media hoax. Without ice bath competitors wouldn’t recover right away. Ice bath works for recovery 100%!When I fought in the ufc I had to ice bath everyday after training to be able to make it to training the next day. If I didn’t I couldn’t make it to training for a whole week.
I have never had an interest in doing ice baths because I'm one of those people that get cold easily. Basically, anything under 70° is cold to me. Conversely, I can tolerate heat better than most people. It's a mystery why some people prefer the cold and some people prefer the heat. Anyhow, I saw a video where someone asked Wif Hof if people who have constant cold hands and cold feet should partake in cold immersion and he said no. But he said you should try doing cold immersion with your hands and feet. I looked into this and most people were saying to not do it for more than 6 to 8 minutes. So I tried putting my hands in ice-cold water and it was incredibly painful and I only lasted two minutes. But that day I noticed my carpal tunnel was not making my hands throb as usual. The next day, I was easily able to do six minutes and could have gone on until the water got warm. It's interesting because I have always used heat to make my hands feel better, and so this has nothing to do with autophagy or any other cold immersion benefits that are claimed, but I may have accidentally stumbled on some pain relief technique for carpal tunnel and arthritis. Also, I may have to experiment with putting my feet into cold water and see if it helps my chronic cold feet problem.
Thomas Seager has done videos that explain a Japanese study from 1991 demonstrates that doing cold exposure BEFORE working out boosts testosterone whereas doing it AFTER workout negatively impacts it.
It's hard for me to believe they wouldn't have died from hypothermia... are you sure it was continues? Does their fur protect them? Are rats better adapted for cold exposure? The study clearly doesn't translate to humans....
@@jeffl1356 Navy Seals in warmer water for extended times that I believe were much less, and hypothermia has been known to affect _them_ in BUD/S training. Some of them pass out. Hypothermia can be a problem in even much warmer water because you don't even notice how much heat you're losing.
I have a pinched nerve in my neck causing inflammation and back pain.. need less to say I think I’ll be cold plunging every morning for at least 5 days a week.. most definitely helps with my chronic pain
Careful though. I have a milder degree of neck instability and did the stupid thing of running into really cold Danish lake water in February. when it got to my neck, I got a bad pain in my neck and head and felt like my head was going to fall off. So I don't do that anymore. I will go out in it but no where near my neck.
Many big names like Gary Brecka and others are backing this up with data. They say that nothing burns more fat than this. Can you dig deeply on this? Love your channel, bro!
The impaired recovery is what I found disturbing. I don't even immediately ice down an injury anymore, and usually don't at all. The only time I can imagine doing it is to bring down swelling if it exists hours after the injury.
Re:> @SREseventyseven/@JacksonNordisVann/SE77 (name change?) "Wim specifically says to do cold therapy BEFORE a workout, first thing in the morning. Man, get your (S) together before you comment." Some people are groupies or something and so sensitive about their idols that they don't even read correctly and ASSume comments are about their idols. PS: You didn't help your case.
@@CarbageManIt has been rigoursly proven beyond any doubt that cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and base testosterone levels. The only thing we dont know is whether cold plunges AFTER a workout descreases hypertrophy, due to the fact that it decreases muscle soreness. I can't believe Thomas Lauer didn't mention that crucial detail. Very misinformed video. Cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and testosterone, cold plunges AFTER a workout might not. End of story.
Cold plunging is for me a forced meditation. And builds mental resilience. It changes the quality of emotion, and practiced routinely compounds gratitude, which imo is worth it
I have been cold plunging for 2 months. I do it nearly every day for 3-4 min, occasionally longer. I live in a cold climate during the winter so my water temp is whatever Mother Nature wants it to be which is usually 32-40 degrees. I’m not sure it has any benefit at all, I haven’t noticed anything thus far. I keep doing it primarily cuz it’s hard and at the very least, I feel like doing hard things is good. As for the other benefits, I haven’t noticed a single one. I think a lot of people like to pretend it has great effects and are gullible but I’m just a sample size of one so who knows. I’ll keep doing it in the winter but I wouldn’t be doing it if I had to buy ice or a chiller.
I remember that study between Wim and his brother on Brown fat and was kinda disappointed But then again there's newer research which does seem to show clear improvements(increases) in Brown fat. But it definitely varies a lot between people.
I would find any study done on Wim Hof to be suspect for the rest of us. The man has been using his brown fat for decades. Of course there won't be any significant change in brown fat now. Compare to average Joe Schmoes and maybe we might get something more accurate that applies to us mere mortals.
In regards to the study on cold immersion and athletes, they had them train hard AGAIN only 4 hours after cold therapy. Well, yeah. No wonder they didn't show any improvement. I think the idea is overall recovery until your next training regiment which for most people is usually a 24 hour period or so. Two intense workouts only 4 hours apart isn't really going to be accurate. As for protein synthesis and inflammation, my understanding was that you should be waiting for at least a couple of hours after a workout before going into a cold bath or shower to allow this synthesis to occur.
I was loving ending every warm shower with 5 minutes of pure cold water, very refreshing and feel great after. Especially when I walk out into the Florda heat right away. But I had to stop because it boosts testosterone and my oncologist has me on test. reduction shots for now.
It has been rigoursly proven beyond any doubt that cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and base testosterone levels. The only thing we dont know is whether cold plunges AFTER a workout descreases hypertrophy, due to the fact that it decreases muscle soreness. I can't believe Thomas Lauer didn't mention that crucial detail. Very misinformed video. Cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and testosterone, cold plunges AFTER a workout might not.
@@kennethward4985 Ah ok, that's an important detail. I think it's in most people's interest to have high testosterone as long as you don't have any hormonal disease or tumors. My girlfriend's brother has been taking cold showers before his workouts and eating mostly carnivore and his doctor accused him of taking steroids, thats how high his testosterone was! And without the negative side effects like aggression or manboobs, he is a very calm guy. Ive also been doing it for a few months and noticed a big difference in performance, my self esteem has changed a lot too. But we're young, in our 20s. I would be more careful if I was older.
I’m just confused!😐 I swim and afterwards I use 20 minutes either in a hot tub or a sauna or split the time equally. Then I step outside in the cold air, wet and still with my swim trunks, and endure for 6-7 mins. Is that a better approach? Feels great to me
Soooo, lowering insulin and control of the glucose, would ABSOLUTELY lead to weight loss! I know it’s helped me sleep better and have an amazing amount of energy!
I did my first cold plunge in a bath yesterday after cold showering for over 6 months. It's no joke and no hoax. It's the real thing. Very real. I'm not interested in the benefits. I'm just interested in the truth. And my first cold plunge was the truth. Very real. Cold. I had it at 10 degrees celsius (50F) using a thermometer. I lasted 2 minutes. I got out and everything was still and quiet. A very profound experience.
![Lil Uzi Vert - Chill Bae [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/D7F42F_JM3U/mqdefault.jpg)
I think the largest benefit of short term cold exposure is mental. I believe studies show it dramatically improves dopamine and serotonin levels over a prolonged period. Also decreases pain sensitivity or at least the subjective ability to handle pain (which most people severely lack), among other things. I also remember that while Wim Hof’s brown fat was normal, his brain’s wiring around his endocannaboid system was extremely pronounced - implying his brain can make a ton of Anamide (which THC mimics) to offset uncomfortable stimulus.
Seems like an extremely useful adaptions considering the amount of people today struggling with mental health and opioid dependence. Health isn’t just physical
I'd rather lock myself in a freezer
absolutely has helped me deal with confrontations where i'd lose control or get angry, or holding planks or running longer/harder. helps me keep my cool in situations where i would previously give in to my weakness
It has been rigoursly proven beyond any doubt that cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and base testosterone levels. The only thing we dont know is whether cold plunges AFTER a workout descreases hypertrophy, due to the fact that it decreases muscle soreness. I can't believe Thomas Lauer didn't mention that crucial detail. Very misinformed video. Cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and testosterone, cold plunges AFTER a workout might not. End of story.
@@AsAWhiteManMarriedToALatina
You're so smart. Mind linking a study?
@@recyfer if there weren't MANY studies about this proving what I said, why tf would I make the claim? Like literally why the fuck would I want to convince people of something I myself don't believe wtfff
My Benefits from Wim Hof breathing and cold showers have been all psychological/mental, I have no idea if it has done anything physically, but my anxiety and panic attacks are WAY better with doing these things.
I definitely appreciate it no matter what current studies do or do not say though 😊
I agree, mentally, I experience a tremendous benefit from both the breathing and the cold plunges.
Reason why it worked is because you are cooling your Vagus Nerve. The vagal nerves are the main nerves of your parasympathetic nervous system. ( so your digestion, heart rate, nervous system and immune system functions that you cannot consciously control). So vagus nerve WILL help to disengage your sympathetic nervous system ( fight or flight).
because 'wim hof breathing is basically methods from kundalini yoga that he's capitalised on
placeebo effect
If I labeled a water bottle full of water "energy drink" and I told you to drink it you would say "I feel energy when I drink that" and its full of normal water not a energy drink
@@foltyn_noah not placebo thrust me
I’ve been ending my showers the last 1.5 years with cold water (1min minimum), and if I do this every other day, I’m no longer allergic to dust (zero reaction).
100% better than medication against my allergy
Yea I've seen a guy that said it made his asthma go away, which is awesome.
I do this in the summers! I call it " The refresher!" Makes me be like Whoooooo! Lol Kids think I'm crazy!
Can you take cold shower completely from start to finish with 70 degree water?
resetting your bodies inflammation and inflammatory responses
I have done 229 Ice baths. I deal with 2 rare diseases which used to leave me in bed half the day everyday. The two things that have done the most to get me out of bed and feeling a lot less pain is being carnivore and doing ice baths. I now do crossfit.
Do you mind sharing which rare diseases?
My guess is you were autoimmune. Cold uncouples mitochondria and allows better flow of electrons. Pair that with an anti inflammatory diet and that’s why you’re killing it. Glad to hear you’re doing well bud
Awesome bro keep at it
@@SauerkrautXcold also helps autoimmune generally
Placebo is one hell of a drug, ice baths only put stress on the body
You mentioned how plunging can be detrimental if your goal is muscle building or strength gains…but from everything I’ve read, that’s only the case if you plunge immediately after a lifting session. So ideally you’d plunge first thing in the morning…or at least 4 hours after your work out.
I have read this too. I have started plunging and my plan is to do it on my non strength training days (3 days strength, 3 days cardio) so basically every other day.
"that's only the case if you plunge immediately" no, there is no data on cold plunge after x hours. It's only a speculation that 4 hours is enough, the idea originate from Andy Galpin that said "theoretically".
We know that the inflammation after workout occurs for some days (and others signals like MPS) and so that maybe even cold plunging 24 hours after is not enough. Maybe it's "less bad" ? But there is no data.
So my only advice would be to cold plunge like 48h after your workout for being sure.
That said, even if i do cold plunge daily it seems that it's wayyyy overhyped
- the brown fat thing is very bullshit you will maybe burn 50 extra calories a day.
- the dopamine increases seems cool but the only data is for 1 hour cold plunging at 14 degrees celsius. So there is no info on the efficiency of shorter time.
- Adrenaline is cool but seems to only last a few minutes, it's not like coffee biologically speaking with a effect that will last.
So I think to switch to cold shower because it's more practical and since the only benefits seems to be psychological/placebo it should works. (Sorry if there is some grammatical errors i'm not a native speaker)
I know, but I just can’t bring myself to do it first thing in the morning. But… hypertrophy is good, and if that’s a huge priority for you, totally fine and understandable. But it sometimes send like the obsession with trying to do every possible thing to maximize you your gains goes a little too far, and gets taken up by people who aren’t even serious bodybuilders anyway. I’m 41. I play everyday…do handstands, cartwheels, archery, punching bag, animal crawls, throw and swing heavy things… because it’s awesome. I have the best physique I’ve ever had in my life, and I’ve always been at least somewhat athletic. If maximal puffiness was my number one priority I’d do steroids or something.
@@K.V.S.H48 hours after your workout? Do you workout once a week? Lol
@@Burt_Sampson No, that's why I stopped cold plunging. It was not in line with my fitness goal
You can cold plunge without telling everyone.
This apparently is a very rare feat.
😲🤯
No you can't 😂😂😂
And that’s when it’s most valuable. Cold Plunges are for the mind, more than the body. It does have beneficial physical properties, but it’s mostly a mind strengthening exercise.
Where’s the fun in that
You know what? Im gonna cold plunge even harder now.
Look, the point of cold plunges is not for the health. Are you posting it up on social media? Are you making sure you're getting likes every time you get in the cold plunge? These are the questions one must really ask.
Just got out of my cold plunge and watched this video, now I'm going back in
Last week's video was cold exposure is so good for you. This week's video is they are neutral for you. Next week's video is they are bad for you. The following week's video is they are good for you. This is basically Thomas's channel now.
What’s interesting is that the title here would suggest ice baths are harmful, and yet his coverage of the subject here suggests they are neutral. Doesn’t he mention something in this video about the mismatch between some “scientific studies” and their clickbait titles? Doesn’t seem very “nuanced” to me…or scientific.
@@michaelasher737 look at all his other videos about how good cold exposure is. Regardless of these stupid studies to rapid fire out videos, tell us what you believe in based on your own research and experience. I feel I can't trust any of the new videos anymore as they just get contradicted the next week. Ugh. Back to Dr. Berg.
@@michaelasher737 🎯how does he criticize clickbait, then practice it for the next 10minutes ???
Yeah Delour sells too much garbage on his channel too. LMNT for example has ingredients that disrupt the gut.
I love how Thomas ignores comments. His thoughts are his thoughts. Take it or leave it.
Dude… how do you do a video on cold plunging and not talk about the massive increase in dopamine??? That’s like literally the biggest benefit !!
I thought dopamine was bad, wasnt that what all the self help gurus have been saying? I think if its OK I'd rather get my dopamine fix from exercise or weed
@@kj_H65f that's in relation to addiction. People aren't wasting all day sitting in a cold plunge, silly
And the cholesterol, adrenaline
you are SO RIGHT
I have been ending my shower in ice cold shower … I count to 200 slowly … for three years since I started fasting I feel like it helps me be healthier and stronger and get my mind focused. I am 62 and I am maintaining my perfect weight for the last three years. I believe. Haha
Fasting and ice-cold shower that's slave stuff.
@@granddaddyofthemall6320 agreed, stress kills cells
I believe that going from hot shower for x amount of time to cold shower for x amount of time has had some studies done where it reflects improving the immune system. I've been doing the same thing for a bit over a year.
Where in nature would this phenomenon occur? Warmth and warm water are serious technological inovations that your ancestors would kill to have access to. And you're so bored with your life you need to force pain upon yourself for the sake of feeling tough.
Just turned 62 and same thing.Unfortunately though the water is not cold in summer here in the sonoran desert of Arizona.Hopefully not the case for you ☺
Thomas always judges things on how they make you "ripped" or "Buff" or "cut". Not what I'm looking for. Cold exposure improves mental toughness and endurance, also helps your immune system. Aerobic exercise helps you to run or hike longer --- which is used for survival, hunting, sight-seeing, adventuring.
I’ve just started, I’m not trying to get ripped or bulk up. I’m 56 and trying to feel better and it is working for me on many levels. I’m going to continue for many years to come.
I've been cold water surfing for over 35 years and I don't need any study to tell me how good cold water is for you/.....ive been called every name in the book, it feels amazing mind body and spirit being in cold water, this "trendiness" is nothing a lot of us have known for a lifetime
At the end of the day the proof is in the pudding. I have been cold plunging for about 2 months daily for 3-5 minutes in the evening after my last training session. I started at 59-61 degrees and currently around 55-57 degrees. It has helped me sleep, decreased soreness and mentally it has been a huge help. I think the popularity of it is because people are experiencing benefits and it's a natural human reaction to want to share with others even if it seems annoying etc... and the other reason for it's popularity is financial for those wanting to cash in on this craze.
I have heard experts say that you should NOT cold plunge AFTER resistance training because it will reduce gains. I.e. the swelling and pain after a workout IS your body repairing and building muscle... so if you are seeking to build muscle ice baths will reduce your gains. They recommend ice baths before workouts and / or at least 4 hours AFTER workouts. Just food for thought.
N = 1
This is a pleasant anecdotal record.
A Korean style cold pool is best. I have many chronic injuries from gymnastics and once i started soaking 30 minutes every week in a cold pool it was near miraculous the relief i got.
Cold plunges are more extreme and honestly i don't think they're as effective as simply bathing in cool water.
I so much agree that there is way too little talk about just swimming/sitting in coldish water. I swim in a lake in Denmark in the Summer time, and it is not super cold in any way but it is enough to make me shiver an hour later maybe if I stayed long enough in it. I get in a much better mood when I do it, and I decrease swelling in my body. That even happens in 28 degrees water (simply need to pee more after). Water does not have to be super cold to have an effect.
Ok been cold plunging for a week (3 mins a time in 4 degC water) and basically noticed these improvements:
Stress reduced.
Work outs much better (more focused and more intense)
No afternoon lull at work
Skin improvement (I know, already!)
General alertness
Can’t say about fat loss but in going to cover this on my channel - I’ve tracked my weight, training minutes and daily calories for years so will have a good base of data to compare this post Christmas period. 🚀
It's all mental benefits. You NEVER get used to the cold. You go through the torture for a awhile and when you're done, you feel like a million bucks and when the hard stuff happens in your life you can deal with it easier.
I believe ppl are mostly doing it for that dopamine hit. There are plenty of studies where ppl in cold climate live longer. Bottom line is, human bodies are amazing. They adapt and adapt and adapt. I mean ever watch 600lb life... That's some adaptation haha
A while is two words.
No kidding. If anyone thinks they can cold plunge and continue their unhealthy eating and drinking, what's the use?
So you're saying that if I bang my toe with a hammer then I'll have an amazing feeling of euphoria after I stop because I survived? I think there is more than torture going on
that is not true. My friend does Winter bathing in a lake, and she just seems to enjoy it. Only the first maybe 30 seconds max are a bit uncomfortable to her. I am not the same. I have a stronger reaction to it and need to take it slower and will only feel the heat in the legs standing in very cold water after a couple of minutes where it gets to feel more pleasant. Even better mixed with sauna in and out several times.
You didn't discuss the evidence for it's effect on mood. That seems to be fairly promising. Reducing anxiety and depression has a positive affect on everything health related.
Yeah iirc it has pretty significant effects on norepinephrine which probably accounts for (atleast in part) its mood boosting/anti-depressive benefits.
Yeah there's good evidence for that, definitely not placebo either.
It has been rigoursly proven beyond any doubt that cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and base testosterone levels. The only thing we dont know is whether cold plunges AFTER a workout descreases hypertrophy, due to the fact that it decreases muscle soreness. I can't believe Thomas Lauer didn't mention that crucial detail. Very misinformed video. Cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and testosterone, cold plunges AFTER a workout might not. End of story.
@@AsAWhiteManMarriedToALatinano it hasn't. Loser
@@NofirstnameNolastname In that a reduction in systemic inflammation, one of the mechanism by which it is thought to improve mood can be caused by placebo, then yeah it could be placebo. Cold plunging objectively reduces inflammation (that's why it is potentially problematic after a work out) and plenty of studies have shown the link between high systemic inflammation and anxiety/depression. It also measurably and significantly increases dopamine and noradrenaline also shown independently to have benefits to mood, again possibly placebo,. There is no way to placebo control a cold plunge. However, when you see an effect and there is multiple mechanisms in play that have independently been shown to cause that effect, then that's about as good as it gets. It's called triangulation, and is used when randomised placebo controlled trails are either not possible or ethical. Personally I found Andrew Huberman's podcast on cold exposure to be far more balanced and detailed.
In winter I do a cold plunge almost every morning. For me it’s just for mental hardness. Dealing with pain and discomfort so I can train harder.
Since I started cold showers abot 1.5 year ago I stopped having any infection apart from having covid for a week last year. Apart from that I have no cold, no sneezing, no cough, nothing. In the past ofen had problems with upper airways and chest infections.
I lost 20 lbs after doing cold showers for about 6 months despite changing nothing in my diet or exercise. I had to take a break because i don't have a lot of body fat to spare and i started losing muscle mass. I've found the benefits actually have to do with when you do your cold exposure: never do it after your workout, do it 20 min before. If you do it after, your already-sped-up metabolism speeds up further from the cold, burning off calories that your muscles need right then at the moment of workout recovery. You also constrict blood flow to the muscles, further starving them, all you'll do is waste away. If you do it beforehand, it serves as more of a kickstart to ramp up the intensity in your training, but the cold exposure hasn't amped up your metabolism quite as much as the workout would've from the reverse.
We really don’t need all these studies. Actually the only study that you need is how you feel after you do it overtime. I’ve been doing it and I can’t say it’s always pleasant but I keep wanting to do it.
it makes you happier- no doubt about and it is addictive
The most important benefit and improvement is mental and not physical. There are physical aspects to consider too but the ability to mentally overcome an uncomfortable condition plunges you into an unstoppable state where the placebo effect kicks in so you improve your overall health and lifestyle.
well said
It has been rigoursly proven beyond any doubt that cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and base testosterone levels. The only thing we dont know is whether cold plunges AFTER a workout descreases hypertrophy, due to the fact that it decreases muscle soreness. I can't believe Thomas Lauer didn't mention that crucial detail. Very misinformed video. Cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and testosterone, cold plunges AFTER a workout might not. End of story.
I really dont care what they say. Cold training changed my life.
Many many agree with you. It is addictive and super good for dopamine.
You can find a study that says anything
My experience with cold showers (every day) and cold plunge (2 a week):
- less inflamation
- better / healthier skin
- more energy
- faster recovery
- a bit faster metabolism
I just feel better every possible way after getting that cold water.
How did you measure less inflammation
@@Jack-e5t You can see it, you can feel it
Of course you "feel" better afterwards. You successfully survived death. Your body is full of adrenaline and stress hormones. It reduces your lifespan.
@@sebk174 It's not even close to near death experience. I've survived 3 near death experiences and I know what real stress and andrenaline are. Cold water is no stress for me.
I don't agree that cold reduces lifespan - the opposite. I know, knew, some people age 90+ and even 100+ living in Sweden, Finland, Norway. All were/are cold lovers. My observation: body ages slower, a lot stronger immune system, far less diseases. All that without fasting, a lot of fish in their diet, smokers, drinking vodka.
Hard to compare many decades of a certain ifestyle with short time studies
@@sebk174cringe
I've had back surgery and it immensely helps my back better than any medication
Most studies are useless word salads designed for funding handouts. Highly recommend ice cold therapy to anyone who suffers with Rheumatoid Arthritis.
I'll be turning 50 soon and it has made a massive positive changes to my life since i began 5 years ago, especially in supressing flare ups, stiffness, mental fatigue and my overall endurance and energy levels.
Thank you for this comment! I am desperate and ordered a full-size body icepack on Amazon today, hoping at least for some relief. Your comment makes me think I made the right decision.
Does it have the same effect when I pour cold water over my body and rub the ice till my body gets numb?
@@funnycalicocat3690 If not doing so already see a Rheumatologist if your pain is crippling. Get the inflammation down and under control first so you can function. A short 12 month cycle of DMARD's, Plaquenil & Methotrexate treatment as an early treatment do work very well and will slow the likely possibility of bone fusing as you age. Then work towards getting off them. Cortisone injections are preferable long term than DMARD's.
step 1) RA is triggered in the gut. Diet & gut biome is THE most important thing you must get control of. Most if not all RA sufferers have terrible diets. Eliminate all processed foods, starch foods, soy,corn & its derivatives, cows milk (switch to goat, almond or coconut) and most of all SUGAR. You need to be militant about sugar, soy & corn as it is everything these days except fresh food.
2) Eliminate or have an outlet for stress.
2) Add Ginger, Curcumin, Boswelia, Cats Claw, Devils Claw & high dose Vitamin D( with K2) supplements to your diet.
3) Regular Intermittent fasting. start simple, 1 day a week. 6 -12 hr fast. Lemon water or coffee or tea only. build up to a goal of a 20Hr fast. As Thomas and many others have preached for years, it will totally rejuvenate your body and mind. It literally resets your immune system and stress levels.
4) Super cold shock therapy. Showers are fine for beginners, but they just dont cut it. It must be ice cold. DIY an icetub if you dont have access to natural ice cold water.
@@healthworm you need to get cold enough and to stay long enough in that to start feeling warm. Done.
Your title is clickbait. I'll think twice before I watch more of your videos. Love that you criticized a study for not showing what was in the title then you did the same thing.
It has been rigoursly proven beyond any doubt that cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and base testosterone levels. The only thing we dont know is whether cold plunges AFTER a workout descreases hypertrophy, due to the fact that it decreases muscle soreness. I can't believe Thomas Lauer didn't mention that crucial detail. Very misinformed video. Cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and testosterone, cold plunges AFTER a workout might not. End of story.
Both of u aound like sissy men.
@@AsAWhiteManMarriedToALatina that is really nice to know. Thank you.
Andy Galpin cites studies that show cold exposure after strength training can attenuate gains in highly trained people. For us amateurs the effect is not as clear cut. I do my 5-7 minute daily cold shower first thing in the early morning before going to gym. I hate the cold shower while I am in it but the payoffs I get throughout the rest of the day are huge. I don’t remember the last time I used anything but full cold water for my shower.
You want to outline your payoffs? Just curious how much is health and how much is energy level or mental clarity or weight control.
my dad used to end his hot showers with cold for maybe 30 seconds, and he did much much better then than later. He stopped that important habit, and he ended up ind bed all the time, dizzy and unable to do much until his death several years later.
18 known benefits from cold showers. Im so used to it, the water doesnt seem cold anymore, even in February.
Here’s a crazy though…..I take cold showers because it makes me feel good! That’s the only reason, and the only reason I need.
that does say it all really, doesn't it
Im with cold showers and I feel like steel when I go out from the coldness. I feel fresh, strong, good.
If you look at liver king because of cold plundge but not wim hof that’s crazy. He’s living proof of the benefits. Liver king is a walking talking roid
I don't know what it does to me. Normally I'm very picky about what exercise I do to stay healthy. But cold water plunging in nature is the only thing that really makes me feel good for days. It helps balance my moods, it helps me feel better and I do not feel sore from working out if I plunge after a workout.
I think the cold water is 'poking' the survival response and that's why it improves insulin resistance and up-regulates glucose. I think swimming in a cold stream or pond or whatever, probably a good thing.
I think, it is the vagus nerve stimulation actually
It's really the shivering that causes the release of succinate and creation of more mitochondria in fat cells. This same effect can be achieved by using a vibration plate, or even just hopping around and jiggling a bit! And remember, if you don't shiver from the cold exposure you don't get this effect at all.
I thought you shouldn't shiver, that's pure torture.
@@honey...salguod If you don't shiver it doesn't do anything, wim himself points to this study.
fancy to see you creeping around these parts... I think i watch your videos 🥩💪🤙
@@honey...salguod No, the experts say you should shiver and try your hardest not to get adapted and not shiver. LOL, you are totally wrong, LOL.
It has been rigoursly proven beyond any doubt that cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and base testosterone levels. The only thing we dont know is whether cold plunges AFTER a workout descreases hypertrophy, due to the fact that it decreases muscle soreness. I can't believe Thomas Lauer didn't mention that crucial detail. Very misinformed video. Cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and testosterone, cold plunges AFTER a workout might not. End of story.
as long as studies dont show that im actively being harmed by cold plunging, I dont care one way or the other about anything else. All I know is that I feel amazing after a plunge and that coffee tastes fantastic right afterward.
Theres a chinese man in my town. He looks no older than 50. One day we asked him his age. He said he was around 90. We asked what his secret was and he said that he just plunged everyday into an bathub full of ice. This was probably 5-10 years ago. Maybe we cannot explain it but it definitively helps.
It uncouples mitochondria which allows for more electrons to flow through the tiny engines of your body. If you do this while having a source for new electrons (ie the sun), it’s like supercharging your body. You can heal virtually anything using that method.
as far as weight loss and hypertrophy go...i have my own study lol. i have been lifting heavy for about 3 months now and i have essentially burned fat at the exact same rate as i built muscle. i started working out at around 186 lbs, was on a specific diet, and weighed myself the exact same time every day before i started my workout. i was 186 the entire time give or take a pound and a half. i started ice bathing once a day, prior to my workout to avoid losing gains (because getting in the ice after a workout negatively effects hypertrophy) and noticed my weight drop pretty significantly. my ice baths were typically around 44 degrees, sometimes 47, sometimes 41, and i normally do 5 minutes minimum, but sometimes i will stay in for 10 or even 13 minutes if I'm feeling safe about it (fully submerged to the neck, and i always dunk my head within the first minute so that i lose 30% more body heat. i think this increases thermogenesis and makes your body burn more calories throughout the day) within a week i was down to about 182. but have since come back up to about 184 (started slacking on the diet) but i'm definitely losing fat, not muscle and i feel better than ever! its been about 2 weeks now i can't have a bad day! even when i feel down on myself and things are not going my way...I'm still legitimately happy lol i don't get it. but I've now moved my ice bath to 7 a.m. first thing in the morning. this morning was 39 degrees and i did 4 minutes. THAT'S ROUGH!!
Thanks Tom, another great video. We know cold plunging and cold exposure increases dopamine for several hours after, increasing the feeling of happiness and boosting energy. I suspect, that increase causes people to unwittingly make better decisions pertaining to health and lifestyle, which potentially lead to weight loss, increased fitness and better health. So maybe it’s affect on mental health is the actual benefit. Just my theory.
Yes, it is of utmost importance
if cold plunging raises blood oxygen levels, then by proxy it also raises blood pH....if blood pH is raised then it's not hard to fathom that cells will work better, which means autophagy would be ramped up.
it definitely makes you burn more fat staying in colder water.
I feel amazing for hours after a cold shower
Only if u do it at the same day after ur training man 5:52, 5:20 but you will do much more reps!
This video sort of spits in the face of Huberman's interview with Dr. Soberg. I'd like to see Thomas directly address Huberman's points here.
Though both sides agree that you don't ice bath to lose weight, I find it funny that Thomas didn't review the mental benefits of ice bathing, like the surge in dopamine, that can have other positive effects on the body.
Also, despite the Sim Hof comparison, Soberg also looked at people who swam in the Nordic seas and found that they absolutely did have higher levels of brown fat.
I addressed that there’s mental benefit although not heavily driven by data
@@ThomasDeLauerOfficial Hey Thomas, thanks for getting back to me. I've been watching most of your videos for two years now so I'm a big fan.
We agree that there certainly needs to be more studies on the benefits/drawbacks of cold plunging. Susanna Soberg does have some pretty good studies and data points that are contrary to the points made in your video. ruclips.net/video/x3MgDtZovks/видео.html
If you read the studies and can shoot some holes in them, I'd certainly love to hear your point of view.
For instance, I acknowledge the study on Wim Hof and his twin. But Soberg also studied Danish people that swam in the cold ocean and they clearly had more brown fat than those that didn't use cold exposure.
I'd love to see another cold plunging video in the future after you've looked at Soberg's studies.
(also, I apologize if my first comment seemed rude)
@@ThomasDeLauerOfficial Big Pharma would have not interest in us knowing that.
Maniac Vs "Not Maniac", Dude, You're Awesome! Your deep dive into science, coupled with your razor-sharp analysis and pro-level presentation, is like a masterclass in physiology knowledge - absolutely mind-blowing! Keep up the great work. We appreciate you!
imagine you meet him in real life and in the middle of the convo he mention thrive market with his discount code then goes "ok, back to the convo."
I can 100% tell you right now from a truama healing perspective cold showers and cold water is good and very helpful for the body for ANYONE. If they do cold showers for weight loss or calorie burning that doesn't work or do much in that area. Also important to say what level of cold is impacting muscle breakdown.
Cold bathing water is all that was available for most people living in temperate climates prior to the industrial revolution. Furthermore, ancient public bath houses had little concept of microbial hygiene because germs are a relatively recent discovery. Even so, people learned to avoid the non-chlorinated bath houses if they had an open wound that could lead to an infection (such as a fresh cut or scab).
It wasn't until the 1920s and 1930s that electric and gas water heaters became widely available and affordable, making hot water a standard feature in American homes. Prior to that, a warm bath required burning wood or coal to heat up the water which was/is quite inefficient.
To summarize, a cold bath or shower is normal. Warm/hot baths or showers are a luxury.
Having said that, no one in their right mind jumps into a frozen lake or river.
Maastricht university is already 10 years busy studying cold temperature expose to cure diabetes 2. And yes they already have seen insulin resistance improved by 27% already after a few sessions.
The one benefit that is very real is is teaches you relax into discomfort and accept it till it is no longer even a real discomfort. It sort of turns down the volume on unpleasantness in the rest of your life. It sounds like a small subtle thing, but it isn't.
Great to know i can stop terrorizing myself in the morning.
I got a cold plunge by Nurecover for only
$150
Going to be in my 600 sq foot apartment, bc my health and vitality are important 💙
I ran a marathon once and literally walked from the finish line to a nearby icy cold pool. Kicked off my sneakers and walked into the cold water still wearing my shorts and tank top. I had zero delayed onset soreness that night or the next day. Don't trust others' studies more than your own experience. That said - You don't NEED to cold plunge DAILY to get the benefits. All these people overdosing on it are overdoing it. Just use it when you need it.
I used to do a sauna and 3 cold showers alternately after lifting heavy weights about 3 times per week. I did notice a sence of invigoration after the cold showers which lasted about an hour afterward. I find, personally, that I get longer-lasting energy and sense of vitality from the workouts alone, which require mental stamina and pain-tolerance. It would be interesting to see a study showing people's levels of concentration and willingness to take action in general.
I have been ending my shower with cold water for over a year now. But I looked into it for my husband, but it is not a good idea with his health problems.
But for me I love it.
What we need on a daily basis: infrared sunlight, to help our mitochondria with natural melatonin.
Sun is life. Don't forget to receive blue light in the morning before 9. It sets your circadian rhythm and your cortisol level during the day. Pivotal for productive day and restful sleep.
well said!
I found a study saying it actually impairs muscle recovery a few months ago and stopped trying to do it. My body hated it with each attempt. Chinese medicine says cold is terrible for women's fertility. They've had a long time to figure that out. I would go between hot and cold to move the lymph but briefly in the cold, if at all. I think it's all psychological.
Don't do it. It's extremely stressful. Your body has to protect you from dieing. Can't believe that so much people are stupid and don't recognise it. It reduces your lifespan.
@@sebk174I guarantee you can't provide a single bit of evidence to prove cold water exposure is shortening our lifespan.
@@onepunchflan3071I'd think rather opposite.
Hot and cold is really helpful yes!!
But look into Wim Hof's science too tho.
@@onepunchflan3071 Just use simple logic. No tribal or longevity people do that stuff. They all live sedentary.
Hubberman said it's really good so I'm doing it.
As long as you dont do it near workouts.
And we all know acute stress is great for you.
Although it makes my mind stronger, gives me dopamine and helps with my muscles having better recovery, I stopped showering with cold showers because I'm kinda of allergic to it, it gives some weird acne or similar to that to my skin, it may be because of the stress that the body feels when showering with cold water, I don't know, all I know is that now my skin is flawless again. Best
yes that is hives, it's an allergic reaction to cold
@@orsondeneus4289 I came back with cold showers and now for some reason I don't have that weird allergic reaction, maybe because my immune system is stronger now and I also have less cortisol, don't know but it could be that. Best
I'm addicted to taking sauna baths and cold showers now, but I think it's mostly helping my mental health. Helps me relax.
In terms of heat exposure, I take the natural route: I don't use heating or air conditioning. It may or may not help or hinder my health. It is, however, far cheaper and environmentally sound.
My only deliberate cold exposure is running a blast of cold water at the end of a warm shower. I have no idea if it does anything for my health, but not climbing out of a steaming hot shower certainly reduces perspiration/body odor. If I have a hot shower I can smell myself the moment I turn off the tap. This doesn't happen when I cool my skin before exit.
I love how you explained this throughout the vid! Thank you for this vid!👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
I take cold showers primarily for the psychological and spiritual benefits, even though I suspect it dampens my muscle gains.
I live in NW Canada. Getting cold is easy, for most of the year I just have to stand/sit outside in a t-shirt and shorts. lol A great hack for assisting those with type 2 to burn glucose reserves, and improve ketone levels. Thanks for the info!
Is it good and beneficial to have cold shower before sleep? I absolutely love having cold showers in the evening and absolutely hate having them in the morning (just the opposite of what everyone is saying that should be done). What is your opinion on this topic?
Well you can make your own opinion. Cold exposure jacks up adrenaline, dopamine and cortisol. Do you want that in the morning or before bed?
@@PriusTurbo For some reason, after that injection of adrenaline, dopamine and cortisol I can sleep just fine.
You want to have a warm shower before bed so it forces your body to cool down your core body temperature, which supposedly improves falling asleep better.
I feel I sleep better and also maintain a more comfortable body temperature (regardless of whether it's hot or cold out) when taking a cold shower before bed... I'd say go with what 'feels' right for you and your body
Cold showers relax your body and gives you energy so basicly it works great both ways.
It's so frustrating when somebody tries to critique called plunging and they always suited to what they want
Sorry when I'm sore from working put all week on my day off I cold plùnge... workouts are way better and better gains since I've started doing that
this is the first video i've seen that went in deep on the data. Thanks
At night I put a gallon of water in the freezer & in the morning I pour it all over my head. This is living!!!
I sure appreciate all the scientific data you bring to these subjects…
for me its purely mental, there is nothing more stressful in my day than what my mind goes through getting in, and I did it to myself so everything else throughout the day is minimal
I just open the window here in Sweden and sleep with it open while my body shiver and that comes and goes. Is 21 minus Celsius degrees here and it the shivering we want to get says Huberman.. when I wanna get warm I just pull the goose feather blanket over me
For me its simple. Shower with some time colder and colder water at the end in the morning to wake up properly. Shower with warm to hot water after a workout.
Not one did he talk about the mental aspect or all the immunity tests that were done on wim hoff and weren't able to make him sick.....🤷
Nice video man! I'm a trucker and I can't shower everyday and I'm a gym freak. I started taking cold showers about 2 years ago and I absolutely love it. I can't do cold plunges either what's the alternative for me that will give me the same results as cold showers/ cold plunges please help
standing/walking in the cold with not so much clothes on until you feel cold.
I cold plunge and feel wonderful after. It’s the pleasure balance in the brain.
It’s not a social media hoax. Without ice bath competitors wouldn’t recover right away. Ice bath works for recovery 100%!When I fought in the ufc I had to ice bath everyday after training to be able to make it to training the next day. If I didn’t I couldn’t make it to training for a whole week.
I have never had an interest in doing ice baths because I'm one of those people that get cold easily. Basically, anything under 70° is cold to me. Conversely, I can tolerate heat better than most people. It's a mystery why some people prefer the cold and some people prefer the heat. Anyhow, I saw a video where someone asked Wif Hof if people who have constant cold hands and cold feet should partake in cold immersion and he said no. But he said you should try doing cold immersion with your hands and feet. I looked into this and most people were saying to not do it for more than 6 to 8 minutes. So I tried putting my hands in ice-cold water and it was incredibly painful and I only lasted two minutes. But that day I noticed my carpal tunnel was not making my hands throb as usual. The next day, I was easily able to do six minutes and could have gone on until the water got warm. It's interesting because I have always used heat to make my hands feel better, and so this has nothing to do with autophagy or any other cold immersion benefits that are claimed, but I may have accidentally stumbled on some pain relief technique for carpal tunnel and arthritis. Also, I may have to experiment with putting my feet into cold water and see if it helps my chronic cold feet problem.
Thomas Seager has done videos that explain a Japanese study from 1991 demonstrates that doing cold exposure BEFORE working out boosts testosterone whereas doing it AFTER workout negatively impacts it.
"It was 72 hours in 4 degrees water. Yeah that's gonna do something. Its gonna do SOMETHING." I don't know why but this made me lol, great video!
Hypothermia comes to mind. 🙂
It's hard for me to believe they wouldn't have died from hypothermia... are you sure it was continues? Does their fur protect them? Are rats better adapted for cold exposure? The study clearly doesn't translate to humans....
@@jeffl1356 Navy Seals in warmer water for extended times that I believe were much less, and hypothermia has been known to affect _them_ in BUD/S training. Some of them pass out. Hypothermia can be a problem in even much warmer water because you don't even notice how much heat you're losing.
I have a pinched nerve in my neck causing inflammation and back pain.. need less to say I think I’ll be cold plunging every morning for at least 5 days a week.. most definitely helps with my chronic pain
Careful though. I have a milder degree of neck instability and did the stupid thing of running into really cold Danish lake water in February. when it got to my neck, I got a bad pain in my neck and head and felt like my head was going to fall off. So I don't do that anymore. I will go out in it but no where near my neck.
Many big names like Gary Brecka and others are backing this up with data. They say that nothing burns more fat than this. Can you dig deeply on this? Love your channel, bro!
The impaired recovery is what I found disturbing. I don't even immediately ice down an injury anymore, and usually don't at all. The only time I can imagine doing it is to bring down swelling if it exists hours after the injury.
Re:> @SREseventyseven/@JacksonNordisVann/SE77 (name change?) "Wim specifically says to do cold therapy BEFORE a workout, first thing in the morning. Man, get your (S) together before you comment."
Some people are groupies or something and so sensitive about their idols that they don't even read correctly and ASSume comments are about their idols.
PS: You didn't help your case.
@@SREseventyseven Show me where I said anything at all about Wim Hof.
Looks like @SREseventyseven/@JacksonNordisVann/SE77 embarrassed himself, deleted his posts, and changed his name.
@@CarbageManIt has been rigoursly proven beyond any doubt that cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and base testosterone levels. The only thing we dont know is whether cold plunges AFTER a workout descreases hypertrophy, due to the fact that it decreases muscle soreness. I can't believe Thomas Lauer didn't mention that crucial detail. Very misinformed video. Cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and testosterone, cold plunges AFTER a workout might not. End of story.
There is a huge amount of scientific evidence for the many benefits
Cold plunging is for me a forced meditation. And builds mental resilience. It changes the quality of emotion, and practiced routinely compounds gratitude, which imo is worth it
I have been cold plunging for 2 months. I do it nearly every day for 3-4 min, occasionally longer. I live in a cold climate during the winter so my water temp is whatever Mother Nature wants it to be which is usually 32-40 degrees. I’m not sure it has any benefit at all, I haven’t noticed anything thus far. I keep doing it primarily cuz it’s hard and at the very least, I feel like doing hard things is good. As for the other benefits, I haven’t noticed a single one. I think a lot of people like to pretend it has great effects and are gullible but I’m just a sample size of one so who knows. I’ll keep doing it in the winter but I wouldn’t be doing it if I had to buy ice or a chiller.
I remember that study between Wim and his brother on Brown fat and was kinda disappointed
But then again there's newer research which does seem to show clear improvements(increases) in Brown fat.
But it definitely varies a lot between people.
I would find any study done on Wim Hof to be suspect for the rest of us. The man has been using his brown fat for decades. Of course there won't be any significant change in brown fat now. Compare to average Joe Schmoes and maybe we might get something more accurate that applies to us mere mortals.
Tell this to all the elite athletes that do it
In regards to the study on cold immersion and athletes, they had them train hard AGAIN only 4 hours after cold therapy. Well, yeah. No wonder they didn't show any improvement. I think the idea is overall recovery until your next training regiment which for most people is usually a 24 hour period or so. Two intense workouts only 4 hours apart isn't really going to be accurate. As for protein synthesis and inflammation, my understanding was that you should be waiting for at least a couple of hours after a workout before going into a cold bath or shower to allow this synthesis to occur.
I was loving ending every warm shower with 5 minutes of pure cold water, very refreshing and feel great after. Especially when I walk out into the Florda heat right away. But I had to stop because it boosts testosterone and my oncologist has me on test. reduction shots for now.
Yeah but I personally wouldn't stop all together. Just reduce it a bit, since it'll help your health so much in general.
what exactly is the problem with having high testosterone?
@@MrMadalien its a problem if you are dealing with prostate cancer and they are giving you testosterone reduction shots.
It has been rigoursly proven beyond any doubt that cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and base testosterone levels. The only thing we dont know is whether cold plunges AFTER a workout descreases hypertrophy, due to the fact that it decreases muscle soreness. I can't believe Thomas Lauer didn't mention that crucial detail. Very misinformed video. Cold plunges BEFORE a workout increases hypertrophy and testosterone, cold plunges AFTER a workout might not.
@@kennethward4985 Ah ok, that's an important detail. I think it's in most people's interest to have high testosterone as long as you don't have any hormonal disease or tumors. My girlfriend's brother has been taking cold showers before his workouts and eating mostly carnivore and his doctor accused him of taking steroids, thats how high his testosterone was! And without the negative side effects like aggression or manboobs, he is a very calm guy. Ive also been doing it for a few months and noticed a big difference in performance, my self esteem has changed a lot too. But we're young, in our 20s. I would be more careful if I was older.
I’m just confused!😐 I swim and afterwards I use 20 minutes either in a hot tub or a sauna or split the time equally. Then I step outside in the cold air, wet and still with my swim trunks, and endure for 6-7 mins. Is that a better approach? Feels great to me
Thank you 🍀
Don’t forget Wim Hof has scientifically proven special DNA.
Means?
My line of thinking here is that most important in cold plunge is psihological training, stoping of thoughts etc
Cold exposure activates every muscle(shivering), and hoovers up the glucose.
Soooo, lowering insulin and control of the glucose, would ABSOLUTELY lead to weight loss! I know it’s helped me sleep better and have an amazing amount of energy!
I have psoriatic arthritis. The cold plunge has helped my pain and inflammation without a doubt
I did my first cold plunge in a bath yesterday after cold showering for over 6 months. It's no joke and no hoax. It's the real thing. Very real. I'm not interested in the benefits. I'm just interested in the truth. And my first cold plunge was the truth. Very real. Cold. I had it at 10 degrees celsius (50F) using a thermometer. I lasted 2 minutes. I got out and everything was still and quiet. A very profound experience.
This is worth watching again. Great information.
I would die without cold showers during the summer