Most people know what a Cold Plunge or an Ice Bath is. Many people even know that regularly being in one anywhere between 30 seconds and 5 minutes can bring a ton of health benefits along with it, but not many people know just how much of a positive impact a cold plunge can have on your overall immediate and long-term health.
Let’s bridge this knowledge gap starting now.
FAQs:
- What is Cold Plunge?
Typically, a cold plunge or an ice bath are utilized when participating in cold exposure therapy in order to take advantage of the enormous health benefits it offers. When participating in a cold plunge, one immerses themselves up to their neck in uncomfortably cold water, between 30 and 59 degrees Fahrenheit, for typically between thirty seconds and three minutes. The sudden exposure to cold water forces the body to begin adapting to the new environment. Through those forced adaptations is where we start to see some incredible physical results and tremendous health benefits.
- What are the Benefits of Cold Plunge Therapy?
There are many reputable scientific studies documenting the incredible health benefits of cold plunging. The benefits come in a wide range, but just a few of the more prominent are a boost in metabolism, healthy weight loss, increases in insulin sensitivity, improved immune system, decreased inflammation, accelerated recovery, decreased cortisol and anxiety levels, increased energy levels, improved mood, improved focus and improved sleep.
Other proven benefits include improved blood glucose levels, faster glucose clearance, lower resting heart rate, makes individual cells more robust and healthier, improved buffering against negativity, increased testosterone levels, increased sexual satisfaction, improved mood, improved focus and more.
In short, cold plunging or cold exposure therapy offers at least one thing that everyone can benefit from.
Getting into some of the more nitty gritty, cellular benefits, let’s talk about heat shock proteins, brown fat cells and more.
- What is Brown Fat?
Brown fat (or BAT: Brown Adipose Tissue), and its closely related tissue: beige fat, are types of fat cells that are very metabolically active (they burn calories and use fuel) while white fat cells are simply long term storage for excess calories or resources.
Brown and beige fat cells have the primary function of raising the body’s temperature by burning sugars and fats in order to create heat when your core body temperature drops below its personal ideal number. This means the more brown and beige fats you have in your body, the more you will not only be able to more effectively and efficiently regulate your own body temperature but also the more calories you will burn while your body works to regulate that temperature. This heavily encourages and influences fat loss and overall health.
- What is the Difference Between Brown Fat and Beige Fat?
While both brown and beige fat cells are extremely metabolically active, like muscle tissue, they are located in different areas of the body. Brown fat tissues are typically locally located around the neck, shoulders, kidneys, adrenal glands, heart, upper chest and upper back. Beige fat cells are actually found more within white fat deposits. Studies have suggested that beige fat has the capability to aid in transforming white fat cells into beige fat cells.
While most everyone is born with brown and beige fat deposits in the above listed areas, the amount of these tissues varies widely from individual to individual. Reputable studies have demonstrated that typically, the more Brown and Beige fat an individual has, the more capable of regulating their body temperature efficiently they are (they keep themselves warm much easier than others). This is a direct result of more heat being generated by these particular fat cells. This also dramatically boosts the metabolism of these individuals while their body works to keep itself warm.
As a result of this, those with higher levels of brown and beige fat typically experience lower overall body fat levels than those with less volume of these tissues. By contrast, those with low levels of brown or beige fat are more likely to be obese or struggle with their body fat levels.
Reputable studies have also shown that brown and beige fat tissues can be grown and increased in volume through the use of temperature exposure therapy and contrast therapy.
What are the Benefits of Ice Bath/Cold Plunge and Exposure Therapy from a Molecular Biology Viewpoint?
Getting into the molecular biology level of things in regard to exposure and contrast therapy can be daunting, but a shallow dive into it all helps us understand why the benefits we’re all after come about and how.
We’ll dive into what each of these things are more in depth in the coming paragraphs, but for the sake of clarification, cold exposure therapy increases and improves the creation, usage, synthesis (insert correct verb for whichever molecule we’re currently discussing here) in the most advantageous ways of Cold Shock Proteins, RBM3, Norepinephrine, Adiponectin, PGC-a1, UCP1, SIRT1, AMPK and Autophagy. And that’s just what science currently knows. Let’s get into it.
- What are Cold Shock Proteins?
Cold Shock Proteins (CSPs), are a specific group of proteins the body uses in response to uncomfortably cold environments and temperatures. These proteins are produced and released by the individual cells when the body experiences a sudden drop in temperature or cold stressors.
These amazing proteins’ key functions include: stabilizing RNA molecules by preventing them from degrading or misfolding, assisting in repairing damaged DNA, ensuring efficient protein synthesis, helping cells adjust their gene expression in order to adapt and survive new stressors in the current environment ensuring vital functions continue, heavily assisting in neuroprotection and enhancement in synaptic plasticity.
In short and less technical terms, Cold Shock Proteins: help protect the brain from damage, help the brain form new connections, help protect cellular membranes from toxicities, helps absorb toxins in the body, foster recovery, makes individual cells more resilient and aids in adapting more efficiently to new environments.
The long-term health benefits of these proteins are mind blowing and seemingly limitless!
- What is RBM3?
RBM3 or RNA Binding Motif Protein 3 enhances neuroplasticity and neuroprotection both of which protect against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, MS and many others.
RBM3 also supports synapse regeneration post stressors or injuries.
- What is Norepinephrine?
Norepinephrine (also known as Noradrenaline) doubles as a neurotransmitter (in the brain) and a hormone. This hormone increases focus, alertness, motivation, attention and regulates mood.
At the same time, on the physical side of things, Norepinephrine is one the stimulants for preparing your body for physical activity (increases heart rate). It also enhances fat burning by activating Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT) or Brown Fat and improves oxygen and nutrient delivery through the body by improving circulation.
- What is Adiponectin?
Adiponectin is a hormone that is produced and secreted by fat cells themselves. This hormone from white fat is huge in signaling to the body to metabolize white fat, turning it into fuel to be used by the rest of the body. This hormone also improves insulin sensitivity helping the body to regulate its available glucose more effectively and lower blood sugar levels.
As this hormone is anti-inflammatory (particularly in the arteries) and protects against many metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity, it fits right in with the contributors to longevity and cardiovascular health.
- What is PGC-1a?
PGC-1a (Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha… yeah, that’s quite the mouth full) is a molecule known as a transcriptional coactivator. PGC-1a has many functions including increasing mitochondrial biogenesis (creation of mitochondria). Mitochondria is a cellular structure carrying the popular title of “the powerhouse of the cell.” The only reason cells have energy is due to the mitochondria turning materials into energy the cells can use; more mitochondria equal more energy and endurance. More mitochondria over the period of a lifetime is also strongly correlated to longevity and a higher quality of living in every stage of life.
PGC-1a is also a huge contributor in fat metabolism as it shifts the body from using carbs or glucose for fuel to fat for energy.
Also because of the increase in mitochondria, this molecule increases endurance, athletic performance through improved stamina and power, improved metabolic flexibility and promotes longevity and anti-aging effects because of the enhanced cellular energy production through boosting mitochondrial production.
- What is UCP1?
UCP1 or Uncoupling Protein 1 is a mitochondrial protein and found almost exclusively in Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT) so much so that it is considered to be specific to brown fat cells.
Long story short, in the uncoupling process, UCP1 allows mitochondria in brown fat to directly burn white fat (without ATP production) to produce heat when the body is trying to raise its core body temperature. This makes UCP1 completely essential in cold adaptation, weight loss or metabolizing of white adipose tissue and metabolic health as a whole.
UCP1 also improves insulin sensitivity by combating insulin resistance and helps the body switch more effectively between burning carbs and fat for fuel.
People with more active UCP1 are more metabolically efficient therefore have a much lower risk of obesity.
- What is SIRT1?
SIRT1 or Sirtuin 1 is a protein in the body that helps in regulating health on a cellular level. It aids the cells in responding and adapting to environmental stressors like fasting and extreme temperature exposure. As a result, it helps to improve fat metabolism, decreasing inflammation and longevity and health in the individual cells of the body.
SIRT1 also activates autophagy which is the body’s process of breaking down or cleaning up damaged proteins and tissues for fuel. This process is crucial for overall health. Once these damaged proteins and tissues are removed, the body is able to rebuild them using new and healthy proteins and tissues.
SIRT1’s enhancement of DNA repair and stability, protecting from aging and disease, aiding in mitochondrial function, shifting the body to burning stored fat for fuel, increasing PGC-1a, protecting brain cells from oxidative stress (which reduces the risk of neurodegenerative diseases), improving insulin sensitivity and regulating adiponectin makes it a necessity for overall health, beauty and wellness.
- What is AMPK?
AMPK (AMP-activated Protein Kinase) is activated when energy levels (or glucose levels) are low which makes it extremely responsive to conditions such as fasting, exercise, cold exposure and heat exposure.
AMPK increases fat burning, metabolic flexibility, enhances mitochondrial function by stimulating PCG-1a, boosts longevity, anti-aging and cellular repair through the triggering of autophagy, SIRT1 and NAD+, improves insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism through blood sugar regulation which reduces inflammation and protects against diabetes and obesity.
- What is Hormesis?
Hormesis is the process of intentionally exposing one’s self to smaller portions of a stressor in a controlled way in order to elicit a certain desirable adaptation. In this case, we use Hormesis by challenging the body to adapt to extreme conditions of Heat and Cold Exposure which makes the body more resilient to future stressors.
To produce the greatest desirable effect, this process must be done willingly and intentionally. If an individual was forced into an identical situation rather than intentionally and willingly participating, the negative stress on the body starts to cancel out the good effects, so again, this process must be employed intentionally and willingly by the participating individual.
- What is Autophagy?
Autophagy is the body’s process of breaking down or cleaning up damaged proteins and tissues for fuel. This process is crucial for overall health. Once these damaged proteins and tissues are removed, the body is able to rebuild them using new and healthy proteins and tissues.
- Conclusion:
Now that you know what it is, why it’s beneficial and how to do it, what are you waiting for? Many people see benefits on their first session with more and compounding benefits continuing the more they participate consistently. Get after it! Take the plunge! Your improved immediate and long-term health with be thanks enough for us.