Appreciating Winter Cold

Old Finnish winter log sauna cabin

"You are invited to take off all your clothes and go to a little room heated to almost 100 degrees Celsius, where you will sit, naked, with others for a while and sweat. Then you will go outside and jump (still naked) through a small hole in the ice on a lake, the sea or whatever and refresh yourselves in the freezing water – or roll in the snow instead."

"In short, 'What about a sauna?'"

"The answer should be simple. Be courageous and say 'yes' – because if you don’t you will miss a deliciously relaxing experience which will provide a vital insight into the culture and mentality of your Finnish hosts."

This is Finland : Bare Facts About the Sauna in Finland

 

"Obese people have less total brown fat and this is one contribution to obesity."

"[Exactly how large a factor it is overall is] the million-dollar question."

Michael Symonds, Nottingham University 

"People saying that they  re aroused and alert and they feel alive, well that's really the release of the stress hormones as a result of what is a pretty significant physiological stress."

Mike Tipton, cold exposure physiological effects, Portsmouth University

"I was swimming back to shore [winter cold-immersion swim] with my wife, when everything went completely blank."

"I was walking and talking but had lost my memory. It gradually came back over the next few hours."

"I was told then it was extremely unlikely to happen again and I'm pleased to say it hasn't."

Michael Mosley TV journalist, cold enthusiast

Ice ice baby: cold-water swimming at the Men’s Pond in Hampstead, north London. Photograph: Michael Walter/Troika

 

The past few decades has seen research into brown fat in the knowledge that its potential for preventing obesity is fairly vital to explore. There are studies suggesting a link exists between the centrally-heated comfort of our homes and the universal rise in obesity within populations. Slim people tend to have more brown fat than others, but it is known that its amount varies from one individual to another. Unlike white fat which accumulates under skin, brown fat does not store calories, instead it burns calories.

Packed with mitochondria -- tiny cellular power plants burning glucose to produce heat -- brown fat is quite different than what we usually envision fat to be; a thick layer of unwanted weight. It is known that regular exposure to cold temperatures increases the activity of brown fat, consuming energy for several hours after exposure to the cold. A phenomenon that leads to the theory that getting cold may be a solution to burning calories with minimal effort. 

Adapting to the cold is now seen by many to be a simple, natural method of increasing health. Improved mental health along with a healthier immune system, with the additional benefit that it may also lead to weight control. At  home, turning down the thermostat is one way to expose everyday living to winter cold ... within reason. 

 

In the Netherlands, a study found people who spent time in a 15 - 16C room over a ten-day period increased brown fat activity, burning more calories, with volunteers spending six hours daily in the cold. "You do not need to be exposed all day. Most likely a minimum of an hour is required", clarified Wouter van Marken Lichtenbelt of Maastricht University, leader of the research.

Another study led by Susanna Soberg of the University of Copenhagen, found regular cold-water swimmers' brown fat burns more calories when cold than people who hadn't been accustomed to cold exposure; training brown fat makes it work more efficiently. Walking, running or cycling in the  old have all been demonstrated to burn more calories than they would do in warmer weather. 

One can gradually acclimate to being in a colder room, but that isn't the case with dousing oneself with cold water in the winter; a shock to the system ensues wth the body cooling more rapidly in water than it would in air. Rapid loss of heat from the skin sets off the fight-or-flight response, while stress hormones rise sharply and quickly. A shock linked to benefits such as a healthier immune system.

 

The water felt cool, but the effect on the pain was that it completely numbed my legs’: Sara Barnes at the Blue Lagoon, Wasdale. Photograph: Emily Cornthwaite

 

The initial rush of adrenalin followed swiftly by an increase in anti-inflammatory chemicals in the blood, tamping down the immune response, according to another study. When injected with a small portion of a bacteria to stimulate an immune response afterward, cold-exposed people experienced fewer symptoms and lower fevers than those who had not been in cold water.

 

With over three thousand volunteers, a separate study showed that people who ended a warm shower with a 30 - 90-second burst of cold water daily for a month were 30 percent less likely to take time off work for illness than were those who just had warm showers. An estimated 30 seconds -- one-half minute -- has the same benefits as a one-minute exposure.

It must be pointed out that there is stress and danger in the cold-shock response. The sharp deep intake of breath ("gasp reflex") that strikes when skin feels cold water, is not controllable, and should it happen with the mouth under water a risk of drowning ensues. Hyperventilation that follows the initial gasp is reason enough why jumping off into cold water without being accustomed to it, is not recommended. "You're much better off going in slowly and habituating", advises cold-water enthusiast Mike Tipton.

Additionally, the shock of sudden immersion raises risk of a heart attack, even in people without underlying health issues as well. A rare, but total loss of memory can also result. Safely done, however, there are benefits to be had in teaching the body to deal more efficiently with other stresses; mental, physical, or both.