Who is The Iceman and Why Should You Care?
Wim Hof is a 60-year-old athlete from The Netherlands. He is also known as The Iceman for his ability to withstand, and workout in, extreme freezing temperatures. He holds a total of 21 Guinness World Records, the first of which was in 2007 for the fastest barefoot half-marathon in ice and snow. Yes, barefoot… and wearing only shorts. He also holds world records for swimming 66 meters under ice, prolonged body contact with ice, and running a full-marathon in the Namib Desert without drinking.
Suffice it to say, he’s a pretty interesting guy. He also believes he has no special abilities and that anyone can do what he does.
But should you care? I don’t know about you, but I’m not really interested in swimming under ice or running barefoot on ice and snow -- for any distance. What makes Wim so interesting is that he seems to have managed to optimize athletic performance, improve immunity, and mitigate symptoms of chronic disease. Evidence of this is found both in his personal achievements (as well as those of his students) and in scientific research of his methods.
The Wim Hof Method (WHM) is based on three pillars:
Cold Therapy (ice bath submersion)
Breathing/Meditation techniques aimed at total relaxation
Commitment
The benefits include:
Increased energy
Better sleep
Heightened focus
Improved sports performance
Reduced stress levels
Faster recovery
Enhanced creativity
Stronger immune system
Scientists have taken interest in his accomplishments. There are over a dozen past and current research studies being conducted on the health and wellness impacts of the WHM as well as its potential to advance treatment of certain mental and physical conditions/diseases.
In one study, researchers looked at the effect of Hof’s ice baths. They took samples of his blood both before and after an ice bath. They then stimulated that blood in the laboratory with bacterial compounds to activate and observe the immune response in blood. Wim’s immune cells reacted much less to this bacterial compound in the sample taken after he was in the ice bath than in the one taken before, implying some suppression of the immune system involved with that exposure to cold. Testing his blood, they also found very high levels of hormones pointing towards activation of the autonomic nervous system in the post-ice-bath sample. The researchers suspected the increased hormone levels could be a factor involved in his immune system suppression.
Along with over a dozen past research studies on Wim Hof’s Method (WHM), there are several ongoing scientific studies that include:
Studying the effects of the WHM on pain and inflammation (Radboud University Medical Center, The Netherlands);
Understanding metabolic activity in blood cells when using the WHM (Germany);
Studying the effects of the WHM on inflammation and quality of life of people with Spondylitis. (Amsterdam Medical Center)
Measuring the effect of the WHM on brain activity including: 1. Effects of isolated cold exposure 2. Effects of cold exposure combined with WHM breathing exercises and mind-set (Wayne State University, USA)
So stay tuned for more evidence of the benefits of the WHM. Of course you already know that at Generator we are big believers in ice bath therapy (cold plunge) for recovery and overall wellness. It’s one of the pillars our *our* Protocol! The fact that Wim Hof’s personal beliefs and the findings of the scientists studying him, align with numerous other studies on the benefits of cold plunge therapy is no surprise at all.
Want to know more about cold plunge therapy? We’ll meet you in the cold tub -- or the hot tub, or the infrared sauna -- where we can talk more about all the amazing benefits of Generator’s Protocol.