Seager on podcast with Mike Mutzel, High Intensity Health
A video preview of topics in my upcoming book, Uncommon Cold
I flew to Seattle a few weeks ago to shoot a podcast with Mike Mutzel, of High Intensity Health. Known on Instagram as @metabolic_mike, Mutzel is one of the content creators I admire most. He reads the science, explains it to his audience in terms that are actionable and easy to understand.
He’s also a terrific host.
In the video, you’re going to get a preview of topics that I’ll describe further in my Uncommon Cold book, including:
03:20 “Complete freedom from stress is death.” - Hans Selye
03:40 Adapting to thermal contrast is a measure of your resilience (Heart Rate Variability preview, see below).
04:40 “It is your beliefs about stress being harmful that cause harm to your health” - Kelly McGonigal, PhD
05:00 Our ancestors lived in discomfort. We’re dying in the opposite.
07:10 Water cold as 60 degrees will help your metabolism.
09:50 HRV improves with cold exposure.
11:30 Ice cold water exposure activates thermogenesis.
14:30 Mike Tipton PhD & autonomic conflict theory: Gasp and Dive response.
16:30 Tipton’s hypothesis is that if you are subject to both the gasp and the dive at the same time, may cause your heart to skip a beat
17:25 Ice bath risks. Never hyperventilate. Don’t breath hold.
18:40 Go feet first. Bathe sober. Breathe continuously.
20:25 Primary Raynaud’s is a complex extreme over reaction to cold.
22:25 Exposure therapy has been a successful method for overcoming primary Raynaud.
28:40 You can micro dose cold exposure.
32:14 Testosterone goes up when a cold bath is done before exercise.
36:00 Precool (cold exposure) before exercise for peak muscle power and endurance.
36:55 Cold stimulation in women raises saliva testosterone.
42:40 Brown fat is an essential organ. It secretes several hormones, including T3 (thyroid hormone) and FGF21 (neuroprotective hormone).
43:40 Without regular cold exposure, you will lose all your brown fat.
43:55 Metabolic disorders are associated with a lack of brown fat.
44:40 Cold exposure is a potential remedy for thyroid disorder.
45:00 Brown fat produces neuroprotective hormones for your brain, thyroid stimulating hormone, and it will modulate your metabolism to bring it back to order.
49:00 Cold exposure burns fat and calories when you are in it, but your body compensates for the caloric deficit after.
50:10 Cold exposure remodels your fat, increasing subcutaneous and reducing visceral
54:40 Eleven minutes a week is enough time to keep brown fat working.
59:44 Ice bath can provide the emotional arousal needed to consolidate short-term memory into vivid long-term memory.
01:00:40 Shivering can be for thermogenesis, and it can be for nervous system release.
01:10:40 Epsom salt in the ice bath, plus potassium sulfate and zinc sulfate.
Also, I tell Mutzel about the three things that are most important when selecting an ice bath for purchase:
Temperature. How cold do you need to go? After a week to ten days of daily cold plunging, your body will acclimate and you may find that you need to get your water temp down below 40F to feel the psychological benefits.
Grounding. Only metal tubs that are specifically designed for electrical grounding will discharge your static electricty and bring you into balance with the Earth.
Water treatment. When the manufacturer instructions say “You only need to add bleach and/or change the water once a week,” it’s because they don’t properly treat the water. Ozone in combination with microfiltration is best.
@mbrochh82 on YouTube posted a ChatGPT summary:
- Ice baths are not recommended for building muscle mass, but can be beneficial for recovery after intense exercise.
- Cold exposure can help correct testosterone levels and improve hormone balance.
- Cold exposure, such as ice baths, can improve vitality, exercise recovery, and hormone levels like testosterone.
- Deliberate cold exposure can improve psychological resilience and activate the autonomic nervous system.
- Cold exposure can increase heart rate variability, which is a measure of psychological resilience.
- Cold exposure can improve metabolic health and increase brown adipose tissue, which has various health benefits.
- Pre-cooling before exercise can boost testosterone levels and improve performance.
- Cold exposure can be beneficial for menopausal women with testosterone deficiencies.
- Lack of cold exposure can lead to metabolic disorders and obesity.
- Cold exposure can remodel fat and change visceral fat into subcutaneous fat.
- Brown fat is an essential organ that produces hormones and modulates metabolism.
- Electrical impedance body fat scanners may not accurately measure body fat in individuals with brown fat.
- Best practices for cold exposure include starting with short durations (2-4 minutes) and finding a time that works best for individual preferences and sleep patterns.
- The average time people spend in an ice bath is 2-4 minutes, but some prefer longer sessions.
- A study from Denmark found that 11 minutes of ice bath per week was enough to keep brown fat working.
- Another study showed that a 5-minute ice bath session can lead to changes in brain activity and emotional regulation.
- EEG measurements have shown increased brain activity and communication during ice baths.
- Ice baths can potentially aid in the recovery from traumatic brain injuries.
- Ice baths can be used for various purposes, such as weight loss, cognitive benefits, and memory improvement.
- Grounding therapy can be achieved when using a metal tub for ice baths.
- Morozko ice baths use ozone for water disinfection, which is more effective than chlorine and does not create chlorinated byproducts.
- Adding Epsom salt and other minerals to the ice bath can have additional benefits.
- The author is working on a book about deliberate cold exposure and its scientific basis.