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Published Apr 4, 2022

Using Deliberate Cold Exposure for Health and Performance | Huberman Lab Podcast #66

Explore the transformative health and performance benefits of deliberate cold exposure with Andrew Huberman as he delves into its impact on metabolism, mental clarity, and workouts, providing strategies for effective practice and enhanced recovery.
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  • Protocols

    outlines specific protocols for cold exposure, emphasizing the importance of consistency and safety. He suggests a weekly total of 11 minutes, divided into sessions of two to three minutes, as a starting point for increasing metabolism and mental resilience 1. notes that these guidelines are flexible and should be adjusted based on individual progress and comfort levels.

    It's most important when embracing a protocol A, that you do it safely, but secondarily that you do it consistently.

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    He encourages listeners to adapt the protocols to their personal needs, whether through cold showers or immersion, to achieve various health and performance goals 2.

       

    Mental Strategies

    During cold exposure, advises employing mental strategies to maximize benefits. He suggests either calming oneself or embracing the challenge, akin to driving on a gravel road where conditions dictate the approach 3. Engaging in cognitive tasks, like solving math problems, can help maintain mental clarity amidst stress.

    You are really training up your ability to keep your brain working when the reflex is to shut down the parts of your brain that are involved in deliberate planning and thinking.

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    Movement during exposure can enhance resilience by breaking the thermal layer around the body, intensifying the cold experience and mental resilience training 4.

       

    Methods

    compares cold showers and immersion, highlighting the latter as more effective due to higher heat transfer from the body to water 5. While cold showers are a viable alternative, especially when immersion isn't accessible, they lack comprehensive studies due to variable conditions.

    Cold water immersion up to the neck with your feet and hands submerged also is going to be the most effective.

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    He emphasizes the importance of deliberate exposure, noting that mindset significantly influences the physiological effects of cold exposure 6.

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