190. Benefits of Cold Exposure (Rebroadcast)

2025-09-16

Cold plunge, cryotherapy, and sauna have all gained attention as ways to push the body and mind, but what do they really offer beyond the shock of the cold? Dr. Andrew Fix takes a closer look at deliberate cold exposure and why so many people turn to it for resilience, recovery, and focus. He unpacks what happens inside the body when you sit in icy water - the release of dopamine, the shift in metabolism, and the boost in energy and attention. He also reflects on the mental side: how choosing to step into discomfort can change the way you handle stress in daily life. How long do you ...

Cold plunge, cryotherapy, and sauna have all gained attention as ways to push the body and mind, but what do they really offer beyond the shock of the cold?

Dr. Andrew Fix takes a closer look at deliberate cold exposure and why so many people turn to it for resilience, recovery, and focus. He unpacks what happens inside the body when you sit in icy water - the release of dopamine, the shift in metabolism, and the boost in energy and attention. He also reflects on the mental side: how choosing to step into discomfort can change the way you handle stress in daily life. How long do you need to stay in? When does timing matter most? What role can practices like sauna play alongside the cold?

This episode shares both the science and the steps so you can experiment with cold therapy in a way that fits your life and see how it might reshape your approach to health and performance.

Quotes

“Our mind is extremely powerful. The mindset that you go into something with can have a huge effect on the effect that you get out of that activity or situation.” (11:22 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“Cold, whether you like it or not, has a chemical neurophysiological effect on us. And it is stressful. It’s a stressor to the body.” (12:10 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“One of the biggest reasons that people use cold exposure is to build resilience and grit.” (12:36 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“Getting into an ice bath has the same effect on our body. It has an effect of releasing dopamine, which can improve our mood.” (15:03 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“This is where some of the studies come from, if that water’s cold enough, the minimum effective dose to produce some of these effects in a noticeable manner on the body, is you want at least 11 minutes per week of total exposure to that cold.” (30:55 | Dr. Andrew Fix)

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