04/02/2023
ARE YOU LACKING ENERGY AND FOCUS?
Deliberate cold exposure causes a significant release of epinephrine (aka adrenaline) and norepinephrine (aka noradrenaline) in the brain and body. These neurochemicals make us feel alert and can make us feel agitated and as if we need to move or vocalise during the cold exposure. Cold causes their levels to stay elevated for some time and their ongoing effect after the exposure is to increase your level of energy and focus, which can be applied to other mental and/or physical activities.
A SOLID BASIC, SCIENCE-SUPPORTED PROTOCOL
Consider doing deliberate cold exposure for 11 minutes per week in TOTAL. NOT per session, but rather, 2-4 sessions lasting 1-5 mins each distributed across the week. Again, the water temperature should be uncomfortably cold yet safe to stay in for a few minutes. You can do more, but this should be the minimum to achieve the benefits of cold exposure. You can do very cold, very brief exposures for adrenaline release too, but the 11 minutes is based on a recent study that explored a range of effects and is a good solid, basic protocol for ongoing use.
Bibliography: https://hubermanlab.com/the-science-and-use-of-cold-exposure-for-health-and-performance/
Want to learn more? Check out episode #66 of the Huberman Lab Podcast 👇🏻
https://hubermanlab.com/using-deliberate-cold-exposure-for-health-and-performance/
