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Cold Plunge makes you happy and much more ... Why is that? Because there are many processes in your body when bathing in the ice -cold water that are hormonal. Your body reacts to this extreme situation with a whole mix of hormones that are distributed. We have forgotten a lot of it in our wealth society, because how often do we go into such situations. But the controlled hormone emissions are one of the best things you can do for yourself and your health.
Table of contents
What are hormones anyway?
Hormones are chemical messenger substances that are produced by certain cells and glands in the body and then transported to other cells. There you tie up to specific receptors that receive these messenger substances. This influences the function of the cells they receive. Hormones are therefore important for the communication of the cells and play a decisive role in many elementary processes such as the metabolism, the function of organs, reaction to stress and fear and much more.
What are the most important hormones in the human body?
Here you will find an overview of the most important hormones that have great influence on the human body. Not all, but many of them are also released on Cold Plunge .
- Insulin: regulates blood sugar levels by promoting the transport of glucose from the blood into the cells.
- Estrogen and testosterone: sex hormones that are responsible for the development and maintenance of the gender characteristics and the reproductive function.
- Adrenaline and noradrenaline: hormones that are produced by the body in the event of stress or danger and are responsible for the "combat or flight" reaction.
- Thyroxine: This thyroid hormone regulates the metabolism and influences growth and development of your body.
- Cortisol: Also known as "stress hormone", Cortisol influences various processes in the body, including metabolism and immune function.
- Melatonin: regulates the body's sleep-wake rhythm.
- Growth hormones: promote growth and development of the body during childhood.
- Serotonin: regulates the mood, appetite and sleep.
What happens when the hormone balance is disturbed?
The body no longer works really particularly in the areas of the hormones. A disorder of the hormone balance can lead to various serious diseases. Among other things, the following diseases can result, but there are many more:
- diabetes
- Thyroid diseases
- Hormone disorders
- Cancer
- Fatty addiction
- Depression
- infertility
- Acne and other skin diseases
- fatigue
Combat or escape reflex is hardly available in our prosperity society- but activable through the Cold Plunge
In Cold Plunge the body is exposed to an extreme cold, which is perceived as an extreme stress for the body. This triggers a reaction that is known a "fighting or flight" or in English as a " Fight or Flight" The name comes from the idea that the body must be ready to either fight or flee to survive. In response to this, your body releases a hormone cocktail to prepare and protect yourself for this life -threatening environment. Because you also have to be aware of this, Cold Plunge is of course fatal if you should stay in too long. And that is exactly what your body wants to prevent with all its available means.
The combat or flight reaction is therefore evolutionary and very useful for us, because your body feels the situation in which your survival is threatened. Such a reaction can be started and ended by the Cold Plunge , which enforces the distribution of hormones that you probably would not have in your well -kept everyday life. Earlier than humans were exposed to natural forces and threats from other tribes, animals or diseases and there were less protection, the combat or flight reaction was often used and thus caused regular hormone lows. Ultimately, it was only ensured that you will survive the next morning. In our modern society, these situational strong threats have resulted in a weaker but permanent threat in the form of everyday stress, which is no longer channeled and unloaded properly.
Which hormones are released on Cold Plunge ?
Some of the most important hormones that are released in Cold Plunge to protect you and prepare for this exceptional situation are testosterone, adrenaline and noradrenaline, endorphins, cortisol, thyroxine and leptin. Below an overview of what these hormones do and why the cold activates them.
testosterone
The male sex hormone testosterone is increasingly released on Cold Plunge . Some studies have shown that cold testosterone production increases . For example, men who have completed a session in a refrigeration chamber a higher testosterone level than a comparable group of men that was in a normally tempered environment. It is believed that the cold reduces the activity of enzymes that reduce the testosterone and thus increases testosterone levels.
Adrenaline and noradrenaline
Adrenaline and noradrenaline are produced by the adrenal glands and are among the so -called stress hormones. They are released in stressful situations to prepare the body for exhausting physical activities. In the Cold Plunge adrenaline and noradrenaline increase heart rate and blood pressure to pump more oxygen and nutrients to the muscles. They also narrow the blood vessels in the extremities to keep the blood in the vital organs in the middle of the body. This helps to maintain body heat in the fuselage and to protect the body from the cold for as long as possible. Because it hurts to lose a finger or a toe, but it is always better than that your heart stops.
Adrenaline and noradrenaline can also be used as a neurotransmitter in the brain and stimulate the central nervous system. This increases your vigilance and attention . This is helpful to be mentally prepared for the challenge of the Cold Plunge S and enable a quick reaction, but this vigilance, the focus and concentration remains all day after bathing.
Adrenaline and noradrenaline also cause the pupils to widen to improve eyesight .
Cortisol
Cortisol is a hormone that is produced in the adrenal cortex and plays an important role in the metabolism and the stress reaction of the body. Cortisol has various effects on the body, including the regulation of blood sugar levels and the metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. In the Cold Plunge Cortisol increases blood sugar levels to provide the body more energy. Because of course he needs this to keep you warm.
In addition, Cortisol has an anti -inflammatory effect and can protect the body from inflammation that can be caused by the cold. This also explains the robust health of many cold plunger , which are very rare and if only falls shorter and easier than their peers.
Endorphins
Endorphins are the body's opioids that are produced by the hypothalamus and act as natural pain relievers and mood enhancement . In response to the cold and the associated pain, endorphins are released to calm the body and relieve the pain.
of physical symptoms can in Cold Plunge , such as headaches, pappies, muscle cramps and breathing difficulties. Endorphins help to alleviate these symptoms by reducing the pain and discomfort and causing a feeling of relaxation and well -being. In addition, endorphins also have a positive effect on the mood and can increase the feeling of happiness and satisfaction. This helps to mentally prepare the body on the cold and reduce your stress level.
Usually endorphins only have a short -term effect that lasts a few minutes. After the release, they are broken down and excreted relatively quickly in the body. However, the release of endorphins through certain activities or events, such as intensive physical exertion, stress or positive experiences such as Cold Plunge , can also have longer -lasting effects. This euphoric feeling after the ice pool will be able to confirm everyone who has tried it once hours after the cold exposure.
Thyroxine
Thyroxine (also known as T4) is produced by the thyroid gland and is a hormone that plays an important role in regulating the metabolism in the body.
An increased physical strain, as occurred in the Cold Plunge , accelerates the metabolism and increases the energy requirement. This means that the thyroid gland produces more thyroxine to cover the increased energy requirement. And ultimately this also helps with weight loss, because if the basic turnover of your body is increased, cold exposure causes you to produce more energy and thus burn more fat.
Leptin
Leptin is a hormone that is usually produced in the body's fat cells and plays for regulating the appetite and metabolism. Since the body's energy requirement is greatly increased, the appetite is first suppressed and the metabolism is strongly boosted, which causes the pounds to tumble. And even after cold exposure, because the development of brown fat consumes more energy permanently and can also access it faster.
Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone that is naturally produced in the body and plays an important role in regulating the sleep-wake cycle. It is usually produced in larger quantities in the dark and signals to the body that it is time to rest and fall asleep. Therefore, you should avoid so -called blue light so as not to prevent or interrupt melatonin production in the evening.
Some studies examined the effects of cold exposure on melatonin production in rats and found that cold exposure leads to increased production of melatonin. Another study from 2017 to humans showed that immersing in cold water before going to bed led to an increased melatonin concentration in the blood, which can also be practiced in Cold Plunge evening. Cold Plunge can lead to better leadership because it increases melatonin production.
Dopamine
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in the regulation of mood, reward, motivation and movement in the brain. There are hypotheses that indicate that Cold Plunge can also have an impact on the dopamine system in the brain. Since this type of cold is an extreme stressor for the body, a reaction of the body can be to pour out dopamine in order to reward itself that cold exposure has been successfully survived. A study of mice showed that cold environments led to increased dopamine activity in the brain. This means that the reward center in the brain is served.
