Health Fitness

A chilling way to improve your performance

When a man gets too excited, we tell him to take a cold shower to cool off. Interestingly, if you followed that advice, you would get more energy from the experience, including more testosterone. You can cool it temporarily, but you will make it stronger next time. All over the world, people have used cold baths or showers as therapy for a wide range of ailments. In the 1800s, ice bath treatments were medically prescribed to patients as hydrotherapy to heal everything from broken bones to psychological disorders.

While hydrotherapy has largely been replaced by pharmaceuticals in Western countries, the practice of iced water immersion continues. People in northern climates go from the sauna to jumping into a pile of snow to invigorate their bodies. Annual polar bear clubs bathe in frozen lakes every year. Athletes are increasingly turning to this method to help speed recovery time after the heaviest physical stress of competition.

When the body feels cold water, it responds with a survival response designed to protect vital organs. Blood vessels near the surface of the skin close and blood flow is directed internally to keep the core of the body warm. When the body re-emerges from this cold environment, the blood quickly returns to all the small blood vessels. The effect is to help eliminate cell damage caused by physical exercise and keep inflammation under control. Athletes recover from exercise more quickly and show greater endurance if they take an ice bath between training routines.

This process also appears to produce a variety of other positive benefits for the body. As the body warms up after the cold experience, it releases antibodies as part of the recovery process. This boosts the immune system and helps protect the body from inflammation and other diseases. To add more power to men in this recovery stage, the body releases testosterone, so all those brave souls who brag about their manhood after jumping into a freezing shower or a pile of snow after a sauna can be in the truth. If your man has parental desires, you may be interested to know that cold baths can dramatically increase sperm count. Can this be a case where the chill beats the pill?

The recovery process also triggers the body to access fat stores, known as brown fats, which can accelerate weight loss. Cold water treatments tighten skin pores and hair follicles, helping to prevent skin from drying out as quickly as a hot shower would. The result is skin with more refined and shiny hair. The invigorating aspect of a cold bath stimulates almost every part of the body, including the brain. As the body races to recover from the effects of ice water, it sends signals to the brain that improve mood and can be a tool to help fight depression.

The amount of time you spend in a cold shower or bath is up to you and depends on the temperature of the water. Fifty degree water will feel cold, and you can tolerate it for ten to fifteen minutes. A thirty-nine degree shower will feel even colder, and you may find that three to four minutes is all you can tolerate. This is not simply an instant dip in and out of ice cold water. Stay in the cold water for more than two minutes to stimulate the optimal recovery process.

A warning is warranted; If you have heart disease or high blood pressure, or are suffering from an illness that causes a fever, we recommend that you avoid the added stress of cooling your body. If you are unsure, consult your doctor before trying this technique. If you’re ready to go, keep the hot water in the tank once a week and let the chills help improve your performance.

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