News & Research:
A while ago people were asking me about cold therapies and I pooled some literature, but haven’t gotten around to shuffling through it yet. Then, this review (thankfully) crawled across my news feed.
Dealing specifically with cryostimulation (cryo-chambers rather than cold-water plunges), the literature is back and forth regarding benefits in anti-inflammation though there does appear to be a general anesthetic component (due to decrease in skin temperature) which makes people “feel better.”
Now, that perception of improved wellness isn’t rubbish. If you feel better, you may function better, though, of course we’d be well served to remember (or find out) why we’re inflamed in the first place. That is, we want to actually be recovering (long term) and not just distracting our minds from our body’s (damaged) condition.
It does look like there are positive effects on DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) and sleep quality, or at least the perception of sleep quality. However, there is limited and / or conflicting literature on direct improvements to strength and performance. Obviously though, if you’re more recovered you’re going to perform better.
Cold plunges are a bit of a different animal, and there is some good literature on brown adipose tissue and mitochondira activation, as well as (limited and temporary) hormonal changes. I asked some folks much smarter than me, and we came to an agreement.
All the tech toys, like infrared lamps and portable plunge tanks, are super cool. However, they’re environmental supplements. Just like pharmaceutical or other nutritionally derived supplements, they’re often lacking the synergy provided by the naturally occurring equivalent. If it’s cold in your local climate, there’s your cold exposure. If it’s July in Florida, it’s a sauna.
So, the punchline for me is that if we’re spending adequate time outdoors (either for Vitamin D, grounding, exercise, or nature exposure) we’re likely getting sufficient environmental hormesis. Supplements are supplements, not replacements. We must always ask, what is the root cause? And, to what end / at what cost am I using this supplement?
This weekend I’ll be (virtually) attending an Essentials of Personal Safety course by Tony Blauer / Blauer Tactical. I have been a long time fan of Tony’s and have been enrolled in his Garage Gym program for about two months and am planning to pursue PDR (personal defense readiness) trainer certification through SPEAR as well.
Since the event is virtual, I don’t think there’s a cap on registration. For $50 (for your entire household) and 2 hours on a Saturday afternoon (if you’re on the East Coast US); it’s well worth the investment. You can register here — I don’t have any affiliation with Tony / SPEAR (yet!), I just strongly believe in the work he’s doing.
The Locker Room:
I’ve republished several of my earlier training articles from past years. There is a lot of prose and discussion in these posts, much more than technical details. That endeavor is better served on a platform like YouTube.
In the future I’m planning on adding some member-only content that will include more specific / programmed regimens — “proven plans” if you will. These will still be free, the membership simply consists of subscribing to the newsletter here on Ghost.
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Originally published at https://www.savagezen.co on November 30, 2021.
