LIVING WELL HOT-COLD THERAPY CHEAT SHEET Taking the temperature on the ways to make the best of both worlds. CALDARIUM Part of a classic Roman thermal bath, the walls, floors, and benches are warmed by floor heating and the air humidity is almost 100%, while the air temperature is below the wall temperature. This ensures a warm, humid climate. A caldarium averages 113 degrees Fahrenheit and is often used as preparation for the intense heat of a traditional sauna. CRYOTHERAPY Cryochambers use liquid nitrogen to super-cool the skin, but not freeze it. The temperature of the liquid nitrogen is crazy cold, between -200 and -300 degrees Fahrenheit, but people are only exposed for a few minutes. This is only possible because the air is very cold, and air is not a good conductor of heat like water. Benefits include feeling more relaxed and positive. HYDROTHERAPY Originally known as hydropathy, this age-old practice uses an aquatic environment to help manage pain. The physiological effects of water, such as buoyancy, viscosity, hydrostatic pressure, and specific temperatures have been shown to positively influence the cardiopulmonary, circulatory, and autonomic systems of the body. INFRARED SAUNA Involves exposing the body to radiant energy generated from an infrared radiator. The body absorbs only a negligible amount of heat from the air, which hovers at around 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Relaxation and stress relief are key benefits. LACONIUM A dry sweating room where heat radiates evenly from the stone walls, floors, seats, and benches. The average temperature is held at around 140 degrees Fahrenheit with 15 to 20% humidity. This is a good alternative for anyone who finds a traditional sauna too hot. THALASSOTHERAPY The Greek word “thalassa,” means sea or ocean. This therapy involves the use of seawater and can include swimming in the sea or a saltwater pool or soaking in a calming seawater bath spiked with algae. Studies have shown that the body time spent in seawater can stimulate circulation, boost the immune system, and help digestion. TRADITIONAL SAUNA In countries like Finland, saunas are heated by wood burned in a stove. Water is thrown on a basket of rocks heated by the stove to increase the humidity and create “löyly,” the steam that enhances the feeling of heat and makes you sweat. Traditional sauna temperatures are hot, ranging anywhere from 175 to 240 degrees Fahrenheit. Sauna sessions can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and ease muscle pain, according to studies. BODY TIME SPENT IN SEAWATER CAN STIMULATE CIRCULATION AND HELP DIGESTION. 56 NetJets
JULIAN RENTZSCH EXPERT EYE Christopher T. Minson, professor of human physiology at the University of Oregon, on the benefits of staying cool WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ACTUALLY BEING COLD AND FEELING COLD? A lot of people conflate those two concepts. When we get into an ice bath and are not acclimated to it, the first thing that happens is that cold receptors in our skin send signals to our brain about the cold. This can result in the ‘gasp’ we get when first immersed. Certainly, we feel the cold. But it takes quite a while for our body temperature to drop. As our skin and, eventually, muscles and, finally, our core start to cool down, we will start to shiver. This starts by some increased muscle tension, and then builds to actual shivering. Our heart rate will also increase initially with our more rapid breath, and our metabolic rate will be increased a bit. ARE THERE BENEFITS TO MAKING COLD EXPOSURE, LIKE A COLD SHOWER OR SWIM, PART OF OUR REGULAR ROUTINE? If we continue to do cold exposures over time, we can start to impact our overall energy expenditure, which may have some benefits on body adiposity [accumulation of body fat]. This is combined with some metabolic changes in which we can activate more brown ADOBE STOCK fat and/or convert some amount of white fat to be more metabolically active like brown fat. However, these changes take a lot of time and have not yet proven to be a huge player in body-fat management, especially compared to exercise and good eating habits.” IS COLD EXPOSURE BENEFICIAL AFTER EVERY TRIP TO THE GYM OR ONLY AFTER VERY STRENUOUS EXERCISE? Current thinking based on research studies has suggested that when we take a cold bath after exercise, we can reduce some of the inflammatory markers that occur secondary to the exercise of moderate to high intensity. This may reduce our muscle soreness the next day, so we feel a bit better. However, if people do this regularly, like most days after exercise, they are reducing the really important signals within our muscles that help the healing and adaptation processes. So long-term, the person may get less performance benefit from the exercise.” IS AN ICE BATH REALLY ANY DIFFERENT THAN A COLD SHOWER? Cold water immersion is one of the quickest ways to actually drop body temperature, as water is an excellent conductor of heat, so being immersed in cold water, especially when that water is circulated, can most quickly lower body temperature. Cold showers can work well, but, typically, tap water is not as cold as water with ice in it. Also, the coverage of the body is not as complete, so the transfer of heat is less. HOW COLD DO TEMPERATURES NEED TO BE TO YIELD BENEFITS AND HOW LONG DO YOU NEED TO STAY EXPOSED TO SEE BENEFITS? Most studies on research have shown that water about 45-55 degrees Fahrenheit is a good balance of cold enough to stimulate the body, but not so cold it’s unbearable. Typically, people only get about 5-15 minutes of this cold exposure. But there are limited reports of people having benefits from even just a few minutes in the shower set to cold. These are mostly associated with feeling more positive and alert. DO SAUNA AND STEAM SESSIONS GET MORE BENEFICIAL WHEN YOU ARE ALTERNATING HOT-COLD-HOT- COLD AND, IF SO, WHY? This has not been systematically studied, but the thinking is that some of the benefits of heat are due to the total exposure of heat. So, if you are doing heat-cool-heat-cool cycles, the time your core temperature is elevated is actually longer than just being heated. There is also some preliminary evidence that the changes in heat and cold stimulate more molecular pathways and changes to our blood-flow patterns that are associated with better health, compared to just heating or just cooling. NetJets 57
