Heat and cold therapy can act as external stressors on the body and have similar benefits and techniques. Cold therapy can help reduce inflammation, improve recovery, enhance mental health, and increase metabolism.
Cold can help reduce pain and inflammation, primarily in acute injuries. It is often recommended for the first 72 hours of an injury, like a sprain, to help reduce the swelling and mobilize the joint as quickly as possible. In addition, cold therapy can also be used to increase physical performance and recovery from exercise. It has been shown to reduce, or even eliminate, delayed onset muscle soreness especially after endurance or performance-based activities. Note that if your goals are hypertrophy or strength, you may benefit from waiting at least four hours after your training session to do cold therapy. In addition, applying a cooling source to glabrous surfaces could also increase endurance in a training session, both in cardiovascular and strength-based work. It should be cool but not freezing as that may vasoconstrict and reduce the benefits of pulling heat from the body.
Deliberate cold exposure can improve mental health including enhanced mood and ability to focus. It is a eustress, or positive stressor, on the body and increases release of dopamine without any significant increases in cortisol, which can be produced by most other stressors. Dopamine helps with motivation, increased energy, and mental acuity. Getting over the desire to exit the cold and uncomfortable environment elevates epinephrine and norepinephrine. This resilience allows us to better cope with more intense life stressors. You can use self-calming techniques or grind it out and get similar benefits. People lose 30-80% cognitive function during cold exposure so trying cognitive exercises may also help keep you grounded.
Deliberate cold exposure can also increase metabolism. White fat is essentially storage for lipids and ready to be used by the system while brown fat is used as a heat source for core temperature. Cold therapy can increase mitochondrial output and density of white fat cells, converting them to beige or brown cells. Since these cells are more active and are used to heat the core, you not only become more cold-adapted, able to withstand lower temperatures for longer periods of time, but your basal metabolic rate, the calories you burn at rest, will also increase.
Deliberate cold exposure should add up to about 11 minutes per week or 2-4 sessions. It can be an ice bath, cold shower, or even a cold environment with minimal clothing. The temperature should be uncomfortable but not unsafe or at risk of hypothermia or frost bite. Allowing your body to warm up on its own and shiver will maximize benefits of thermogenesis. To combine with heat therapy, do the heat first and then finish with cold. The body's natural circadian rhythm starts to warm up your core temperature about 2 hours before you wake, so cold therapy in the morning can align with the body’s natural rise in temperature. Cold therapy in the evening could disturb sleeping patterns. It should be a sustainable practice so try some different cold therapy methods and see what is a good fit for you.
Resources:
Huberman Lab: Using Deliberate Cold Exposure for Health and Performance
MAK Coaching LLC: Effectively Recover from Injury - Moisés Delgado: BYI Podcast Ep 8
VeryWell Health: Epinephrine vs. Norepinephrine: What's the Difference?
Consultant 360: Cooling hairless skin speeds temperature drop in hyperthermia: study
https://www.consultant360.com/story/cooling-hairless-skin-speeds-temperature-drop-hyperthermia-study
Precision Movement: Contrast Therapy for Painful or Swollen Ankles, Knees and Elbows
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