Cold Exposure / Cold Shower

Key points

• 11 minutes per week total cold exposure — not per session — is the studied threshold for metabolic and mood benefits
• Cold triggers a massive norepinephrine release — up to 300% increase — which drives alertness, focus, and mood for hours after
• Activates brown adipose tissue (BAT) — the metabolically active fat that generates heat; increases basal metabolism over time
• Do NOT use cold immediately after resistance training — it blunts the hypertrophy signal (mTOR/inflammatory cascade)
• Wim Hof breathing beforehand increases cold tolerance — the alkalised blood state from hyperventilation reduces the initial shock response