Cold exposure training - why it works

You can’t toss a stone without hitting someone who’s into cold plunges these days, and there’s a very good reason why. The benefits of cold exposure are only recently being formally researched, but people in cold-weather climates have long been enjoying effects like increased energy, focus, improved circulation, deeper sleep, and more.

In our longevity studios, we apply the cold exposure protocol to our Cold HIIT hormone optimization station. The cold exposure does something very uniquely beneficial when training, and we’re eager to delve into the science behind it.

First, let’s examine some of the benefits of cold exposure, then take a closer look at how Vasper Systems allows our Smart Cold HIIT workout to help our clients achieve stronger muscles, better sleep, and an increased ability to shed body fat.

Cold exposure benefits

Comfort is the enemy of progress, especially in fitness. If we want to improve, we must intentionally enter states of being “comfortably uncomfortable”. Nothing proves this principle quite like deliberate cold exposure.

Here are some of the researched benefits of cold exposure:

Improves recovery - Reducing inflammation with cold exposure helps the body increase readiness for exercise.

Boosts circulation - Cold stimulates circulation, increasing oxygen to tissues.

Improves metabolism - Cold exposure triggers the body to generate heat by activating the healthy, brown fat cells in your body. This ramps up metabolism by causing the body to burn calories to generate that heat.

Improves immune response - By activating cytokines, brown fat, and enhancing the ability of white blood cells, some research suggests cold will improve your immune response, challenging the old wives’ tale that being cold will make you sick!

Mood boost - Cold exposure releases endorphins and serotonin, relieving the symptoms of depression and anxiety in some studies.

Remember that more research is needed to conclusively prove these claims, but the current body of research compellingly makes and demonstrates these benefits of cold exposure for health.

The science of cold exposure training

How does cold exposure work, though? How can being cold have so many benefits for the human body?

The research on cold exposure has largely been conducted by Dr. Susanna Søeberg and suggests that the science of cold exposure lies in how the body reacts to cold. Cold exposure causes the body to activate brown fat, initiates a prolonged release of dopamine, and spikes adrenaline.

These effects cause the numerous physical improvements we can see and feel when we expose ourselves to cold. Søeberg’s research tells us that cold exposure is incredibly beneficial for the brain and body. Check out her website to learn more.

Cold exposure and Smart Cold Hiit

Vasper Systems was developed to explore the relationship between cold exposure and exercise. Adding cold exposure, which has so many proven benefits, to a training protocol that is by nature gentle and rehabilitative has produced remarkable results.

Here’s how it works:

A Cold HIIT session puts you on a seated elliptical with cold cuffs wrapped around your legs and biceps. The compression stimulates an intense exercise response in the muscle while the cooling helps the body endure it. The result is an intense, 2 hour stimulus packed into a gentle, 21 minute session.

Cold HIIT is a bit of a mind trick. It packs 2 hours of strength training stimulus into a short, relatively easy session. At the end, many clients self-report feeling relaxed and ready for a session at our BioChargerNG. Since this protocol does not tear muscle tissue, it has the unique benefit of building muscle without the typical post-workout fatigue and soreness.

Want to try out this tech that was originally designed for NASA? Book a free consult with one of our trainers to learn how you can incorporate Cold HIIT into your lifestyle to reap the benefits of stronger muscle, more testosterone, and better sleep.

Cold exposure and hormone response

You might have wondered how it could be possible when you read Cold HIIT will improve your testosterone. But it’s true: Vasper studies suggest that their sessions are effective at improving the body’s natural testosterone response.

This has some obvious implications for men, but women shouldn’t ignore it, either.

Testosterone for men

Testosterone is a crucial hormone for men, playing a variety of roles in their physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

In men, testosterone is responsible for sperm production, mood, and libido as well as maintaining muscle mass, bone density, and strength because of how it promotes protein synthesis. High testosterone is also associated with lower body fat, particularly around the abdomen.

With such important jobs to do, it’s no wonder men are concerned with testosterone levels. Men of any age can and should benefit from regular cold exposure and sessions on Cold HIIT at a Smart Fit Method longevity studio.

Testosterone for menopause

As we said, men aren’t the only ones who need to be concerned with testosterone. Particularly as they age, women also need to maintain appropriate testosterone levels, and cold exposure can assist with this.

During menopause, there are changes in all hormone levels, and testosterone is responsible for libido, mood, energy, strength, muscle mass, and bone density, just as it does in men. Testosterone supplementation has a protective effect on bone health, strength, and muscle mass in menopausal women.

While testosterone is critically important for women's health, it’s often misunderstood as the “male hormone” and doctors are unwilling to prescribe hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in many cases due to now-debunked research cautioning against its use.

For menopausal women, Cold HIIT and cold exposure can be a compelling, natural solution.

Cold exposure training - how to get started

If you’re ready to see how cold exposure training can increase your strength and hormone response, improve your sleep and overall quality of life, it’s time to check in at The Smart Fit Method and get working with a personal trainer to determine the right program for you. Book a free consult with one of our trainers to experience firsthand the many benefits of cold exposure training on Cold HIIT.