What are the best protocols for cold exposure?
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The best cold-exposure protocol depends on your goal: use brief, challenging exposure to build resilience, time it carefully around strength training, and avoid immediate reheating when aiming for metabolic effects.
- Start safely: Choose water that feels uncomfortably cold but is safe for you, and build up gradually. A useful general target is about 11 minutes total per week, divided across sessions; the right duration varies with your tolerance and the temperature.
- For resilience: Practice cold exposure regularly, staying calm and mentally clear while your body is stressed. You can make a given temperature more challenging by gently moving in the water while keeping your mind composed.
- For recovery: Cold-water immersion after high-intensity exercise may reduce soreness and support recovery. If maximizing strength or muscle growth is the priority, avoid immersion for about four hours after strength or hypertrophy training.
- For metabolic benefits: Follow the Søberg principle: finish with cold and rewarm naturally rather than immediately using a hot shower or sauna. To encourage shivering, alternate cold exposure with short periods out of the water without drying off; repeat until shivering occurs, while staying within safe limits.
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