The cold would be good for the body and soul. Update all these refreshing techniques and their effects on the body.
This winter the hunt for the extra grade is open. Accustomed to superheated areas where we sometimes work with bare hands in December, our bodies are inevitably affected by this drop in temperature. “The ideal outside temperature for the human body is around 23°C,” explains Professor Jean-Francois Toussaint, cardiologist and professor of physiology at the University of Paris. Different mechanisms are activated at the bottom and top to maintain the internal temperature at 37°C.
Thus, when the thermometer drops, metabolism and muscle activity increase, superficial blood vessels constrict and blood pressure rises. “By overloading the cardiovascular system, this adaptation can be dangerous for fragile organisms (elderly, diabetic, cardiac, hypertensive, obese, etc.),” emphasizes Professor Toussaint. We always see an increase in mortality during extreme cold weather.
And what about healthy individuals exposed to “controlled” cold? According to some, it would be beneficial, even therapeutic. So Wim Hoff, Dutchman Wim Hoff, nicknamed “The Iceman” for his records of exposure to extreme temperatures, extols the benefits for physical and mental health and even created his own method based on cold water baths. International success.
Lose weight… with good fats!
“One of the main effects of cold is the activation of brown fat,” explains cardiologist Dr. Mathieu Bernard (1). Unlike white fat, which is just an excess fat store that is harmful to the body, this brown adipose tissue is necessary for the body’s thermoregulation. Located primarily in the neck and shoulders and especially present in infants, brown fat burns glucose, destroys white fat cells, and converts it into energy to produce heat. In this way, it also improves the body’s sensitivity to insulin.
Inserm researchers believe that increasing the number of brown fat cells may be an interesting way to increase energy expenditure and weight loss in overweight people. The good news is that, according to studies, a temperature of 19°C is enough to stimulate and increase their activity. “The water being particularly conductive, taking a cold shower for a few minutes or swimming in a pool heated to 26-27°C also contributes to this,” notes Dr. Bernard.
A powerful stimulant
A warning signal for the body, cold stimulates many functions. Unlike the heat, which makes you quite lethargic and hinders performance, it forces you to be more active in order to warm up and evacuate the resulting stress. It also activates blood circulation and therefore increases the need for oxygen and respiratory amplitude, which contributes to better irrigation of organs and the brain.
According to Dr. Philip Stefanini and Miriam Willems, who publish a book inspired by the Wim Hoff method (2), it can also have a positive effect on morale by stimulating the secretion of endorphins, hormones of well-being, and thus combating depression. and anxiety. “By regularly being exposed to this purely physical stress, it is possible to become more resistant to chronic stress caused by work, worries…”, Dr. Bernard assesses.
In the Nordic countries there is cold sea immersion therapy with very precise protocols and timings, protected head, hands and feet. The technique is even used to strengthen the cardiovascular system, and in psychiatry to fight depression.
The return of winter
There is currently no scientific evidence to support that regular exposure to cold enhances or weakens the immune response. “If we’re more prone to infections (flu, colds, etc.) in winter, it’s because our lifestyle promotes the transmission of viruses,” says Professor Toussaint. Simply, by force we become less cautious, more resistant.
Now it is in the constant search to extend life expectancy that the thermometer is of interest to researchers. “Cold preserves,” explains Dr. Frederic Saldman, a cardiologist (3). According to one study, the body temperature of centenarians is on average 0.5-1°C lower than that of the general population. Experiments on mice also showed that by lowering their thermoregulatory center by 0.5°C, they lived 15 to 20% longer than others. Finally, the body temperature of the naked mole rat, this exceptionally long-lived species that resists all diseases, is 32°C.” Another reason to regret global warming.
(1) The heart, our other brainEditions Larousse.
(2) Bathe in cold water, let’s go.Editions Jouvence.
(3) Health aheadEditions Robert Laffont.
Source: Le Figaro
