Cold Thermogenesis. What’s the hype about?

You may have seen some of your favorite social media influencers, athletes, or fitness stars talking about the effects of taking a cold shower, its benefits on body composition, mental clarity, or elimination of inflammation. But when it comes down to it, what kind of difference does plunging into cold water actually have on our health? Could this be the next big fitness craze?

Fat Loss

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of cold could be its affects on weight loss. Studies have shown that even walking outside at a temperature of 57°F with a t-shirt and shorts for an hour can increase an individual’s metabolic rate 350%.

One way this works is by converting white fat to brown fat (BAT) which burns more calories than the former. This also controls out blood glucose levels. The increase in insulin sensitivity is critical to use glucose for energy, and prevent insulin resistance, which attributes to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.