The concept of CT has actually been around for sometime now, but it was primarily used for specific purposes such as training astronauts for NASA.  The NASA scientists have known the physiological benefits of CT for years, but it wasn’t until fairly recently that CT caught the attention of some health experts at which point the physiological benefits…particularly weight loss…became more public.

The actual physiology behind CT is quite complicated and if you’re interested in getting a deeper understanding of the whole process, I would suggest visiting Dr. Jack Kruse’s site (http://www.jackkruse.com). He’s a neurosurgeon who has become an expert at CT and lost about 170 lb in 14 months himself using the CT protocol.

Now I haven’t experimented enough to give you my personal opinion on this process, but the research is solid.

Here are some of the physiological benefits CT have shown in studies:

• Increased metabolism (more calorie)

• Boosts growth hormone (increase fat burning)

• Increases testosterone (increase lean muscle building)

• Enhanced muscle recovery (less recovery needed)

• Increased VO2 Max (increase endurance)

• Increase muscle strength

And according to Dr. Kruse, it’s no coincidence that Lance Armstrong used CT as part of his training protocol and Michael Phelps used to train in 50 - 55 degree water temperature.  Top athletes are always looking for the edge and apparently CT has been a hidden gem that some elite athletes use to enhance their performance. He also states that professional athletes that spend more time in cold baths after training or a game is much less susceptible to injuries and have a longer career.

But his biggest and perhaps most convincing example of the physiological advantages that CT provides are seen in the sherpas that live in mountains at very high altitudes.  As any top mountaineer will attest to, the sherpas are the real heroes of mountaineering.  They are built small but display extraordinary amounts of energy, endurance and strength.  They exemplify the potential benefits of CT, that we can all perhaps experience.

The findings are very intriguing, so if you’re healthy and up for an experiment here’s the cold thermogenesis protocol that Dr. Kruse recommends:

CAUTION: If you have any health condition, you should consult a medical doctor before beginning a CT regimen. Immediately stop treatment if you experience light-headedness or a pale pink to white coloration of the skin.

Be warned:  This protocol is not for the faint of heart. This is NOT for everyone!

Cold Thermogenesis Protocol (CT)

Before you begin this protocol you need to make sure that your diet is composed of high fat, low carb and moderate protein.  It’s important that your body is already fat-adapted so you can maximize the benefits of this protocol.

#1 Face Dunking:  You’ll need a skin thermometer, a timer, ice, and a bathroom sink or larger bowl.

• Remove make-up or facial products

• Get the water between 50-55 degrees

• Dunk your face into the ice water and hold as long as you can

• Record time and dunk again

• Continue for the next two weeks and work your way to using less breaths

• DO NOT let your skin temperature fall below 50-55 degrees

#2 Compression Shirt & Ice:

• Lay down flat on your back

• Place a 20-40 lbs block of ice Or something equivalent on your torso (whilst wearing compression shirt)

• Try to extend your time 5 minutes a time until you get to 60 minutes

• You will notice your skin is pink to cherry read and numb in places

• If you can complete the 60 minutes- remove the compression shirt and place the bag of ice directly on the skin

Note: According to Dr. Kruse, if you develop cold urticaria at this time, itm means you’re not full fat-adapted so you should stop the experiment and adjust your diet until you have become fat-adapted.  This may take a few weeks if you’re just changing your diet from a traditional high carb diet to a high fat / low carb diet.

#3 Full Body Immersion with Ice:

• Fill the bathtub with cold tap water

• Wear socks, gloves, and a knitted cap to keep the heat in your body

• Add 20 lbs of ice to chest and abdomen

• When your body is use to the ice you can remove the socks, gloves, and cap

• DO NOT let your skin temperature fall below 50-55 degrees

• Stay for 45 minutes

• Continue daily 2-5 times a week

#4 Full Body Immersion with NO Ice:

• Jump into a pool, lake, or hot tub from the neck down

• Stay for 10-20 minutes

• Pay attention to skin color

After going over Dr. Kruse’s CT protocol, the only one that I would do is the #4 method: Full Body Immersion with NO ice.  I think the rest of the protocol is quite time consuming and painful.  I can’t imagine spending an hour laying on my back with a 20 - 40 lb block of ice on my chest!  I’d much rather workout for an hour instead… it would be way more fun, much less painful and I think more effective.  But hey… the studies are there to back up his CT protocols.

Personally, I may include a quick dip and a swim in the cold pacific ocean water a couple times a week to see how it goes.  BUT for the most part I’ll stick to what I’ve been doing.  I’ll continue to stick to my high fat, low carb, moderate protein diet… which also happens to be the recommended diet when doing CT…and I’ll keep doing my 20 - 30 minutes of short intense workouts to get the the similar health benefits that CT promotes.