Cold exposure delivers an instant boost of mood elevating hormones into the brain, namely epinephrine and norepinephrine. It enhances blood circulation and oxygen delivery throughout the body, and delivers a potent anti-inflammatory effect. These are all hormetic benefits, meaning a brief, natural stressor that makes the body more efficient and resilient. Sauna exposure delivers similar hormetic benefits, as the body is challenged to work hard and cool back down (or rewarm, in the case of a cold plunge) to homeostasis.
What’s really interesting are the potential benefits of cold exposure to enhance focus, discipline and confidence. Brad offers numerous anecdotes from both big shots and regular folks who are into cold therapy, including his original inspiration and future podcast guest Dave Kobrine in Newport Coast, CA, the amazing Dude Spellings of Austin, TX (run 3 miles, soak 20 min at 50°F pond in wintertime, run home!) and his young friend in Sacramento, “Dr. Dre,” who claimed that after just two chest freezer sessions at his backyard luxury spa and workout facility, he experienced a noticeable reduction in anxiety to the extent that he felt more confident in communications at work. Tony Robbins starts his day with a cold plunge, and reportedly has a cold plunge at each of his seven luxury homes around the world.
Listen to this podcast episode here
About Brad Kearns
Brad Kearns, 55, is a New York Times bestselling author, Guinness World Record setting professional Speedgolfer, #3 world-ranked Masters age 55-59 track&field high jumper, and former national champion and #3 world-ranked professional triathlete. He has written twenty books on diet, health, peak performance, and ancestral living, and is a popular speaker, retreat host, and face of the Primal Blueprint online multimedia educational courses. In 2017, The Keto Reset Diet became a New York Times bestseller, and briefly ranked as the #1 overall bestselling book on amazon.com.
Brad hosts the Get Over Yourself podcast, covering healthy living, peak performance, and personal growth with his carefree style and lively sense of humor. Brad promotes a nutrition, supplementation and lifestyle transformation program he calls the “Mofo Mission,” designed to optimize male hormone function in order to maintain passion and competitive intensity throughout life. His signature morning regimen is a six-minute plunge into a chest freezer filled with 38F water to build focus, discipline and a natural hormonal boost.