Alpha Lifestyle

Ice Baths are another component of the Alpha Lifestyle.  We are once again moving ourselves further from comfort and making our bodies respond to an unpleasant stimulus.  It is the response that is beneficial to our health.  Most of the techniques of the Alpha Lifestyle work synergistically with one another.  The Lion Diet, Water Fasting and Ice Bath are no exception.  Each is powerful for improving our well-being, but together can make you an Alpha!

Ice Bath

Cold Plunge, or Intentional Cold Emersion, is the act of exposing your body to cold water for 1-6 minutes, 2-4 times per week.  The goal is 12 minutes per week.  Studies have found that at least 11 minutes per week is required to most dramatically improve metabolic rate.  What temperature for an Ice Bath?  The water must be under 60F.  My favorite Temperature for a cold plunge is 50F.  

There are three methods:  cold shower, cold plunge and cold bath.  The least effective is the cold shower, but it is free and everyone can do it.  It is simple.  Take your shower.  Get out.  Then, turn off the hot water and get back in and let the water hit as much of your skin as possible for 1-6 minutes.  You will get some or most of the benefits.

You can get all the benefits of an ice bath from a cold plunge.  The cold plunge is getting in a cold river, lake or ocean and the ice bath is submerging yourself in an ice tub, ice barrel, portable ice bath usually at your house or gym.

What Do Ice Baths Do

The extreme cold is sensed on the skin.  Our bodies first reaction to the extreme cold is to restrict the arteries and push all the blood to our organs and brain (aka core).  Cold plunges are great for the Brain.  This is a great exercise for the muscles of the blood vessels.  The vagus nerve is stimulated during an ice bath.  This regulates the nervous system in times of stress.  And, the act of taking baths improves one’s response during times of stress.  Because, Ice Baths are essentially practice!

There is a short term and long term increase in metabolism from Ice Baths.  Our bodies have a 50%-350% increase in metabolism during cold exposure.  That is a very minimal increase when you are looking at only 12 minutes per week.  But, we also respond to the cold by converting “white” fat into “brown” fat.  White fat does nothing more than store energy.  Brown fat is loaded with mitochondria.  Mitochondria are the power plants of cells.  They will become active and burn energy to keep the core body temperature up.  Over time, your metabolism can increase by as much as 100%!

Your mood is dramatically enhanced from Ice Baths.  Endorphins, Adrenaline and Dopamine are released.  It is almost impossible to be in a bad mood when you get out of cold water.  lol.  Trust me! One reason is because the misery is over.  Another is the rise of dopamine can will well after the bath.  Studies have found dopamine levels to increase for 2-6 hours.  There are actually stories of drug addicts using ice baths to break their addictions by leveraging the dopamine rush.

Ice Baths are also known to improve sleep.  Improved sleep has its own set of health benefits, of course.

Alpha Synergy

Ice Baths are effective on their own.  But, you can stack protocols.  Water Fasting increases your level of norepinephrine.  Morning coffee on the Lion Diet while water fasting increases your brain’s ability to react to dopamine.  So, for the greatest response to an Ice Bath….Take an ice bath while water fasting and 60 minutes after drinking 2-3 cups of coffee.

The combination of the Grounding and Ice Baths definitely equals great sleep.  There is nothing better than knowing that you are going to sleep great and burn fat (water fasting) while you do it.  It makes it easier for me to convince myself to stick with the 3 Day Water Fasting each month.

Ice Bath Before or After Workout

If you are doing resistance training and trying to maximize the muscle growth or increased strength from the workout, we recommend that you do not do an ice bath within 5 hours (before or after) of your workout.  I do my ice baths while water fasted after my coffee on my rest days.  

The Alpha Part

It may be hard to believe, but you will love the feeling from Ice Baths.  I would call it addicting.  I live in Pennsylvania.  My tub is outside.  The thought of getting in the water with 3 inches of ice on it during the Winter, sucks.  Sucks bad.  Just do it.  You will be proud of yourself for doing it.  The feeling of the blood rushing back into your extremities is hard to describe.  You know it is happening.  Besides all the benefits of ice bath previously mentioned, there is a part of your brain (Anterior Mid-Cingulate Cortex) that grows when you do things that you don’t want to do.  This part of the brain is highly developed in the ultra successful.  Now that is Alpha!!

The most Alpha protocol we’ve found is once a month to do the following:  Water Fast 36-72 hours, Pre-workout Supplements, Resistance Train, Sauna Bath, Ice bath, Protein Shake or Bone Broth, Lion Diet Meal, Snack, Meal.  Drink lots of Hydrogen Water during the protocol.  Have Lean Meats with your meals.  It is a fat burning, HGH Bomb!

Consult your Doctor

Always consult your doctor when making lifestyle changes.  While 12 minutes of Ice Baths is generally safe, please be sure that you can safely handle cold exposure.