Can Temperature Affect The Way Your Body Burns Calories? Well according to some health experts, doctors and even NASA scientists…you betcha! The term cold thermogenesis (CT for short) may sound foreign to you now, but it may be a terminology that you may become familiar with in the next few years, as more and more research is finding significant health benefits. 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. However, the scientists have known the physiological benefits of CT…discovered through training astronauts…for years. However, 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 highly suggest going to Dr. Jack Kruse site. He’s a neurosurgeon who has become an expert at CT and lost about 170 lb in 14 months himself using the CT protocol. Impressive indeed. Now I haven’t experimented enough to give you my personal opinion on this process, but the research is solid and it’s something I think worth trying. 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 used 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 their amazing physical feats, 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 intriguing enough for me (personally) to give this a shot and see what kind of difference it will make in my body, fitness and health. I plan to follow Dr. Kruse’s protocol to become “cold adapted” and I plan to keep exercising as I always do (4 - 6 times a week short high intensity workouts - MAX Workouts) and I will continue to stick to my high fat, low carb, moderate protein diet (aka. Lean Body Diet) which happens to be the recommended diet of choice when doing CT to maximize the benefits. Whether you’re trying to lose weight or are looking to try something different to get the extra edge or perhaps you’re like myself, always in search for the best most effective way to optimize your body’s fitness and health potential…it may be worth a try. Stay Lean, -Shin
Posted on: Mon, 15 Jul 2013 14:41:58 +0000
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