The Benefits of Cold Exposure on Dopamine

Cold exposure has many benefits for the brain and body. These benefits include increasing baseline dopamine, increased metabolism and fat loss, sleep and recovery time, and an improved sense of well being. Cold exposure is also a fantastic way to curb bad habits, increase motivation, and manage procrastination. Cold exposure has become a bit of a fad but this should not overshadow the extensive benefits that can be realized from this simple activity. 

What is Cold Exposure?

Cold exposure can take many different forms from a formal ice bath at a Nordic spa to jumping in the snow in your drawers. The point being that no matter how you do it, you are very cold for an extended period of time and it is rather uncomfortable. What typically happens is that the body will respond immediately to the pain of immediate cold exposure. Over time, the body will then get used to the cold and a rush for positive neurochemicals can be felt. This rush includes dopamine. The difference between cold exposure and other dopaminergic activities is that cold exposure is a slow release of dopamine that is felt more like a long term increase than a dopamine peak seen with pleasure activities like food or alcohol. Slow release of dopamine leads to increased motivation, a stronger sense of wellbeing, and a host of other benefits. 

How to Safely Participate in Cold Exposure

The level of cold exposure a person can handle depends on multiple factors that vary greatly between people. Cold tolerance, blood pressure, heart conditions, and even time of day play significant roles in how you should approach this activity. Using water for cold exposure is the most common and effective way to practice. Water temperatures range from 4-15C (40-60F) and can vary from a shower to a cold tub to jumping into a lake.

For safety, you should start with a temperature closer to 15C (the temperature of your shower when turned all the way to cold). If you have not participated in cold exposure before, make sure there is someone nearby just in case as there can be a period of lightheadedness experienced during the process. 1 minute of cold exposure is enough for most people to receive the positive benefits of cold exposure when starting out. The time can be increased and the temperature decreased as you begin to become more tolerant of the cold.

Everyone will interact with the cold differently and I implore you not to make this a competition with your friends or with social influencers online. Find the level of cold exposure that is right for you and only increase the difficulty as necessary.

The Benefits of Cold Exposure

Increased Baseline Dopamine Levels

Baseline dopamine is very important for motivation and completing difficult, worthwhile tasks. Cold exposure is an amazing tool for dopamine management because you can boost your dopamine levels by up to 250% (a similar amount to alcohol or sex), the difference being this dopamine will slowly release instead of peaking and dropping immediately after. The slow release of dopamine increases motivation and creates the conditions to complete that pesky task you’ve been avoiding all day. 

If you want to test out the effects of cold exposure on motivation:

Next time you have a task or activity that you find yourself procrastinating, not wanting to do but know that it is important to get done. Hop in the shower, crank it as cold as it can go, and jump in for a minute or two. You will get out of the shower renewed and ready to take on the task. Physiological pain trumps the psychological pain and it will be much easier to get started. 

Metabolism Increase & Fat Loss

Cold-Induced Thermogenesis (CIT) is the internal process by which your body increases its temperature by increasing your metabolism and burning your fat stores to generate heat. CIT leads to some level of fat loss and can be fairly effective when paired with proper eating and exercise. While CIT alone is not enough to shed those extra pounds you’re hoping to ditch before your cousin’s wedding, it can support significantly with the process by both curbing cravings and increasing metabolism. 

If you are exercising for the purpose of gaining muscle, refrain from doing cold exposure until at least 3-4 hours after your workout. The cold will make it difficult for your muscles to gain mass because they are constricting to keep your body warm. 

Sleep and Recovery Time

While cold exposure does not help the body gain muscle, it does have positive effects on sleep and recovery. Cold exposure supports stress reduction and promotes relaxation. Combined, these two things can lead to better sleep and an increased recovery time. The cold also decreases inflammation and can alleviate muscle soreness. That being said, muscle soreness and inflammation are part of the body’s natural healing process so warming the muscles back up is important for recovery. It is a fine balance between cooling and heating muscles for recovery but the benefits to sleep alone will decrease recovery time significantly. 

Improved Sense of Wellbeing

Cold exposure has a profound effect in creating sustained happiness by creating a simple and quick way for us to lean into pain to create sustained pleasure. During the cold exposure the brain releases endorphins and a host of neuro chemicals like dopamine and serotonin in a healthy and sustainable way. This allows our brain to “reset” and interact with the chemicals without a need for more and more. The slow release of dopamine makes it so that we are not pushed into craving cold exposure but instead feel powerful and ready for the next challenge. 

Developing Positive Dopamine Behaviors

At Mito Coaching, we have worked with our clients to create positive dopaminergic behaviors for a better life. We use the most up to date coaching practices, leading edge research, and a blend of personal experience to support clients in navigating a world of abundance with the neural circuitry meant for a world of scarcity. Dopamine Coaching creates the impetus for you to start a cold exposure practice, put down your phone, and moderate your screen time to begin engaging in a vivid life.