How Cold shower helps You to increase Dopamine Andrew Huberman
00:00in recent years there's been a trend in recent years there's been a trend toward more people doing so-called cold toward more people doing so-called cold toward more people doing so-called cold exposure in part this was popularized by exposure in part this was popularized by exposure in part this was popularized by vimhoff the so-called Iceman getting vimhoff the so-called Iceman getting vimhoff the so-called Iceman getting into cold showers taking ice baths into cold showers taking ice baths into cold showers taking ice baths exposing oneself to cold water of exposing oneself to cold water of exposing oneself to cold water of various kinds various kinds various kinds can in fact increase our levels of can in fact increase our levels of can in fact increase our levels of dopamine as well as the neuromodulator dopamine as well as the neuromodulator dopamine as well as the neuromodulator neuroepinephrine first of all some of neuroepinephrine first of all some of neuroepinephrine first of all some of the safety parameters let's let's the safety parameters let's let's the safety parameters let's let's establish those first getting into very establish those first getting into very establish those first getting into very very cold water you know 30 degree very cold water you know 30 degree very cold water you know 30 degree Fahrenheit or even low 40 degree Fahrenheit or even low 40 degree Fahrenheit or even low 40 degree Fahrenheit can put somebody into a state Fahrenheit can put somebody into a state Fahrenheit can put somebody into a state of cold water shock I mean people can of cold water shock I mean people can of cold water shock I mean people can die doing that so obviously you want to die doing that so obviously you want to die doing that so obviously you want to approach this with some caution but for approach this with some caution but for approach this with some caution but for most people getting into 60 degree water most people getting into 60 degree water most people getting into 60 degree water or 50 degree water or if you're or 50 degree water or if you're or 50 degree water or if you're acclimated and comfortable with it uh acclimated and comfortable with it uh acclimated and comfortable with it uh you know 40 degree water or 45 degree you know 40 degree water or 45 degree you know 40 degree water or 45 degree water can have tremendously beneficial water can have tremendously beneficial water can have tremendously beneficial results on your neuromodulator systems results on your neuromodulator systems results on your neuromodulator systems including dopamine including dopamine including dopamine there is never a case in which getting there is never a case in which getting there is never a case in which getting into cold water
01:00into cold water into cold water does not evoke a release of epinephrine does not evoke a release of epinephrine does not evoke a release of epinephrine so the quickening of the breath the so the quickening of the breath the so the quickening of the breath the widening of the eyes the the the feeling widening of the eyes the the the feeling widening of the eyes the the the feeling is if you can't catch your breath and is if you can't catch your breath and is if you can't catch your breath and even some physical pain at the level of even some physical pain at the level of even some physical pain at the level of the skin that happens almost every time the skin that happens almost every time the skin that happens almost every time where every time that you get into cold where every time that you get into cold where every time that you get into cold water even if you're cold water adapted water even if you're cold water adapted water even if you're cold water adapted what almost everybody knows and what almost everybody knows and what almost everybody knows and understands is that understands is that understands is that that wall as I like to refer to it is that wall as I like to refer to it is that wall as I like to refer to it is coming that's always the first coming that's always the first coming that's always the first experience of getting into cold water experience of getting into cold water experience of getting into cold water there's no real way around that now the there's no real way around that now the there's no real way around that now the study that I mentioned earlier study that I mentioned earlier study that I mentioned earlier human physiological responses to human physiological responses to human physiological responses to immersion into water of different immersion into water of different immersion into water of different temperatures really interesting study temperatures really interesting study temperatures really interesting study that was done and published in the that was done and published in the that was done and published in the University of excuse me the European University of excuse me the European University of excuse me the European Journal of Applied physiology I can Journal of Applied physiology I can Journal of Applied physiology I can provide a link to that study in the in provide a link to that study in the in provide a link to that study in the in the show caption it's a really the show caption it's a really the show caption it's a really interesting study they looked at people interesting study they looked at people interesting study they looked at people getting exposed to water that was warm getting exposed to water that was warm getting exposed to water that was warm moderately cold or very cold it was 32 moderately cold or very cold it was 32 moderately cold or very cold it was 32 degrees Celsius 20 degrees Celsius or 14 degrees Celsius 20 degrees Celsius or 14 degrees Celsius 20 degrees Celsius or 14 degrees Celsius what they looked at were degrees Celsius what they looked at were degrees Celsius what they looked at were the concentrations of things like
02:00the concentrations of things like the concentrations of things like epinephrine and dopamine epinephrine and dopamine epinephrine and dopamine and so on and what they found was really and so on and what they found was really and so on and what they found was really interesting interesting interesting first of all first of all first of all upon getting into cold water upon getting into cold water upon getting into cold water the changes in Adrenaline and the changes in Adrenaline and the changes in Adrenaline and noradrenaline epinephrine and noradrenaline epinephrine and noradrenaline epinephrine and norepinephrine were immediate and fast norepinephrine were immediate and fast norepinephrine were immediate and fast and these were huge increases so that's and these were huge increases so that's and these were huge increases so that's the getting into the cold water that the getting into the cold water that the getting into the cold water that everybody experiences these huge everybody experiences these huge everybody experiences these huge increases in Adrenaline but then what increases in Adrenaline but then what increases in Adrenaline but then what was interesting is they observed that was interesting is they observed that was interesting is they observed that dopamine levels started to rise somewhat dopamine levels started to rise somewhat dopamine levels started to rise somewhat slowly and then continue to rise and slowly and then continue to rise and slowly and then continue to rise and reach levels as high as 2.5 times above reach levels as high as 2.5 times above reach levels as high as 2.5 times above Baseline increase in dopamine Baseline increase in dopamine Baseline increase in dopamine from a cold water exposure of this kind from a cold water exposure of this kind from a cold water exposure of this kind was comparable to what one sees from was comparable to what one sees from was comparable to what one sees from cocaine except except in this case it cocaine except except in this case it cocaine except except in this case it wasn't a rise and crash it was actually wasn't a rise and crash it was actually wasn't a rise and crash it was actually a sustained rise in dopamine that took a a sustained rise in dopamine that took a a sustained rise in dopamine that took a very long time up to three hours to come
03:00very long time up to three hours to come very long time up to three hours to come back down to Baseline which is really back down to Baseline which is really back down to Baseline which is really remarkable and I think this explains remarkable and I think this explains remarkable and I think this explains some of the positive mental and physical some of the positive mental and physical some of the positive mental and physical effects that people report subjectively effects that people report subjectively effects that people report subjectively after doing cold water exposure one after doing cold water exposure one after doing cold water exposure one question that many of you are probably question that many of you are probably question that many of you are probably asking is just how cold should the water asking is just how cold should the water asking is just how cold should the water be be be well you could mimic what was done in well you could mimic what was done in well you could mimic what was done in this study and do 14 degrees Celsius but this study and do 14 degrees Celsius but this study and do 14 degrees Celsius but for some people that won't be cold for some people that won't be cold for some people that won't be cold enough for some people that will be too enough for some people that will be too enough for some people that will be too cold cold cold they did look at the release of stress they did look at the release of stress they did look at the release of stress hormones like cortisol in addition to hormones like cortisol in addition to hormones like cortisol in addition to the release of things like epinephrine the release of things like epinephrine the release of things like epinephrine and adrenaline and it's interesting that and adrenaline and it's interesting that and adrenaline and it's interesting that they noted that in all cases but they noted that in all cases but they noted that in all cases but especially at that coldest temperature especially at that coldest temperature especially at that coldest temperature there was an increase in cortisol but there was an increase in cortisol but there was an increase in cortisol but that it was transient that eventually that it was transient that eventually that it was transient that eventually people's cortisol the stress hormone people's cortisol the stress hormone people's cortisol the stress hormone subsided a bit there are basically two subsided a bit there are basically two subsided a bit there are basically two different approaches to remaining in the different approaches to remaining in the different approaches to remaining in the cold when it's uncomfortable one is to cold when it's uncomfortable one is to cold when it's uncomfortable one is to try and relax yourself to try and try and relax yourself to try and try and relax yourself to try and practice slow breathing to try and practice slow breathing to try and practice slow breathing to try and dilate your gaze I've talked about this dilate your gaze I've talked about this dilate your gaze I've talked about this before in previous podcasts you go into before in previous podcasts you go into before in previous podcasts you go into panoramic Vision to essentially try and panoramic Vision to essentially try and panoramic Vision to essentially try and calm yourself so that it's not as
04:00calm yourself so that it's not as calm yourself so that it's not as stressful in the cold other people stressful in the cold other people stressful in the cold other people however however however take the approach of trying to ramp up take the approach of trying to ramp up take the approach of trying to ramp up their level of internal autonomic their level of internal autonomic their level of internal autonomic arousal meaning to get really energized arousal meaning to get really energized arousal meaning to get really energized and kind of lean into the friction of and kind of lean into the friction of and kind of lean into the friction of the cold and they find that easier other the cold and they find that easier other the cold and they find that easier other people distract themselves they recite people distract themselves they recite people distract themselves they recite the alphabet or they do something the alphabet or they do something the alphabet or they do something anything to try and distract themselves anything to try and distract themselves anything to try and distract themselves from the discomfort from the discomfort from the discomfort to be totally honest it does not matter to be totally honest it does not matter to be totally honest it does not matter for sake of dopamine release because the for sake of dopamine release because the for sake of dopamine release because the dopamine release is triggered and then dopamine release is triggered and then dopamine release is triggered and then continues even after you get out of the continues even after you get out of the continues even after you get out of the cold water now in this study it was long cold water now in this study it was long cold water now in this study it was long exposure to cold water it was an hour exposure to cold water it was an hour exposure to cold water it was an hour that's a long period of time and I do that's a long period of time and I do that's a long period of time and I do warn you against getting into cold water warn you against getting into cold water warn you against getting into cold water that's so cold that it will make your that's so cold that it will make your that's so cold that it will make your temperature drop and make you temperature drop and make you temperature drop and make you hyperthermic for an hour that actually hyperthermic for an hour that actually hyperthermic for an hour that actually could be dangerous for a lot of people could be dangerous for a lot of people could be dangerous for a lot of people you might have a hard time reheating and you might have a hard time reheating and you might have a hard time reheating and hypothermia is not a good thing hypothermia is not a good thing hypothermia is not a good thing it's well established now that getting it's well established now that getting it's well established now that getting into cold water whether or not it's a
05:00into cold water whether or not it's a into cold water whether or not it's a shower an ice bath circulating cold shower an ice bath circulating cold shower an ice bath circulating cold water a stream Etc water a stream Etc water a stream Etc that can evoke the norepinephrine that can evoke the norepinephrine that can evoke the norepinephrine release immediately and the long Arc of release immediately and the long Arc of release immediately and the long Arc of that dopamine release why would that be that dopamine release why would that be that dopamine release why would that be good up until now I've basically said good up until now I've basically said good up until now I've basically said getting increases in dopamine are getting increases in dopamine are getting increases in dopamine are detrimental to your Baseline well this detrimental to your Baseline well this detrimental to your Baseline well this does appear to raise the Baseline of does appear to raise the Baseline of does appear to raise the Baseline of dopamine for substantial periods of time dopamine for substantial periods of time dopamine for substantial periods of time and most people and most people and most people report feeling a heightened level of report feeling a heightened level of report feeling a heightened level of calm end Focus after getting out of cold calm end Focus after getting out of cold calm end Focus after getting out of cold water so cold water exposure turns out water so cold water exposure turns out water so cold water exposure turns out to be a very potent stimulus for to be a very potent stimulus for to be a very potent stimulus for Shifting the entire milieu the entire Shifting the entire milieu the entire Shifting the entire milieu the entire environment of our brain and body and environment of our brain and body and environment of our brain and body and allowing many people to feel much much allowing many people to feel much much allowing many people to feel much much better for a substantial period of time better for a substantial period of time better for a substantial period of time after getting out of the ice bath or after getting out of the ice bath or after getting out of the ice bath or cold water of any kind than they did cold water of any kind than they did cold water of any kind than they did before now you might ask how often to do before now you might ask how often to do before now you might ask how often to do this some people do this every day it this some people do this every day it this some people do this every day it can be very stimulating so typically can be very stimulating so typically can be very stimulating so typically doing it early in the day doing it early in the day doing it early in the day it's going to be better I don't
06:00it's going to be better I don't it's going to be better I don't necessarily recommend doing it right necessarily recommend doing it right necessarily recommend doing it right before sleep but some people do it in before sleep but some people do it in before sleep but some people do it in the afternoon and some people will the afternoon and some people will the afternoon and some people will indeed do that seven days a week other indeed do that seven days a week other indeed do that seven days a week other people three days a week other people people three days a week other people people three days a week other people every once in a while what I can say is every once in a while what I can say is every once in a while what I can say is once you become cold water adapted once once you become cold water adapted once once you become cold water adapted once it no longer has the same impact of it no longer has the same impact of it no longer has the same impact of novelty and feeling a bit like a I don't novelty and feeling a bit like a I don't novelty and feeling a bit like a I don't want to say a shock to your system want to say a shock to your system want to say a shock to your system because you don't want to go into cold because you don't want to go into cold because you don't want to go into cold water shock but once it water shock but once it water shock but once it is comfortable for you is comfortable for you is comfortable for you then it will no longer evoke this then it will no longer evoke this then it will no longer evoke this release there really does seem to be release there really does seem to be release there really does seem to be something in the pathway from cold water something in the pathway from cold water something in the pathway from cold water exposure through the norepinephrine exposure through the norepinephrine exposure through the norepinephrine pathway and into the mesolimic brain pathway and into the mesolimic brain pathway and into the mesolimic brain stem that causes this release in stem that causes this release in stem that causes this release in dopamine but nonetheless it's a dopamine but nonetheless it's a dopamine but nonetheless it's a basically zero cost I mean you need basically zero cost I mean you need basically zero cost I mean you need access to water of some sort cold water access to water of some sort cold water access to water of some sort cold water shower Etc but basically zero cost way shower Etc but basically zero cost way shower Etc but basically zero cost way of triggering a long lasting increase in of triggering a long lasting increase in of triggering a long lasting increase in dopamine without ingesting anything no dopamine without ingesting anything no dopamine without ingesting anything no pharmacology whatsoever