The Way of the Iceman: How the Wim Hof Method Creates Radiant Long-term Health—Using the Science and Secrets of Breath Control, Cold-Training and Commitment

by Wim Hof

men trained in the Wim Hof Method had increased adrenaline levels.

Because of our current lifestyles, we live with permanent low levels of infection. You could say that we are chronically infected, but because it is so low, we don’t feel it at all. We don’t notice it, but it is the breeding ground of many diseases.

Through Hof’s special breathing technique, his pH rises as high as 7.7, and his pain receptors become inactive. If you get into cold water after doing this breathing exercise, you won’t feel any pain, panic, or stress because the pain center in the brain is not activated. The temperature receptors still work, but they are no longer linked to pain or fear. The cold receptors send a signal to the body to burn brown fat, quickly releasing a large amount of calories. The circulation in the epidermis (the outer layer of the skin) is also closed off, so that the body loses less heat.

Besides the specific genes that always remain “on” or “off” (so that a liver cell is a liver cell and not a kidney cell), there are also genes that are switched on and off in response to external circumstances, such as social contact, eating, or exercising. So engaging happily in sports or other physical activities sends different signals to our genes than does slouching grumpily on the couch. Of the hundreds of transcription factors, only one is of special interest to us: the nuclear factor kappa b, NF-kB for short. This factor underlies many very important biological processes, including how our immune systems function and how cancer develops. It is widely known that inflammation processes lie at the root of many diseases. NF-kB is a recurring determinant factor in chronic and exhausting inflammatory reactions.

when Wim and his trained group were injected with endotoxin, a completely opposite reaction occurred. Their adrenaline levels rose immediately when they started their special breathing exercises. This activated CREB and made it dominant so the inflammatory proteins controlled by NF-kB remained at a low level, while proteins like IL-10—regulated by CREB—increased. As IL-10 also inhibits the inflammatory reaction, the inflammation was doubly inhibited.

The combination of breathing, meditation and cold training changes the normal stress response to cold and to hypo- and hyperventilation. The normal stress response comprises the immediate release of adrenaline, followed by the production of stress hormones from the pituitary gland in the brain. These stress hormones trigger the production of cortisol by the adrenal glands. Cortisol has a strong impact on our bodies and also controls many functions, including the stimulation of NF-kB activity. However, Hof and his trained group clearly respond to stress differently. This different response is possibly due to the increased pH levels from the special breathing, and the resulting absence of pain and fear. The part of the brain normally stimulated by cold-induced pain is not activated. It does not send a signal—or perhaps it sends a different signal—to the pituitary gland, to change the stress response.

Hof and his group produced extremely high levels of adrenaline as soon as they started their special breathing exercises—before they got into the ice bath—as a conditioned response.

Strenuous physical exercise also causes microscopic damage to the muscles. If you rest sufficiently, that damage is repaired and the body becomes stronger. This process is known as supercompensation. Hydrotherapy—sitting in an ice bath—speeds up the process of removing waste materials from the body. First, the blood vessels constrict, then when you get out of the ice bath, circulation resumes more actively.

Quantum Healing by Deepak Chopra.

The less intense the activity, the more low-energy fats are used as fuel. More intense efforts make use of more free ATP. The energy generated is released by the breakdown of organic compounds. This process can take place with oxygen (aerobic) or without it (anaerobic).

A healthy body first burns the fat stored in the muscles and later taps into the subcutaneous fat reserves. When an intense activity stops, the fat in the muscles is replenished from fat tissue. The greater the effort, the more the body calls on its glucose reserves. However, test results show that people suffering from chronic fatigue also tap into their sugar reserves, rather than their fat, while at rest. People who suffer from burn-out, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), Pfeiffer’s disease, and fibromyalgia use energy as if they were constantly engaged in strenuous physical activity. So, while people suffering from fatigue feel that they are resting, their bodies are still hard at work. Their reserves are not being replenished and the body becomes exhausted. The body has become a sugar-burning machine. Although many CFS patients are not overweight, their body fat percentage is relatively high because their fat reserves are not being used. They even use their sugar reserves at night, which explains why they even feel exhausted in the morning.

Breathing is an important factor for the body being “on”—active rather than at rest. Van der Poel links this to a disrupted balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood. According to her research, a shortage of carbon dioxide in the blood raises the pH value. The carbon dioxide shortage is caused by breathing too rapidly or too deeply, which brings us back to Konstantin Buteyko and his ideas about asthma. The breathing exercises and the possibility of mobilizing brown fat as a fuel can also have beneficial effects for people suffering from fatigue.

COLD SHOWERS Take a warm shower, as you always do. Then, while the water is still warm, start doing breathing exercises. Breathe in and breathe out slowly. Do this a few times and then turn the shower to cold. Try to keep breathing calmly. Stay under the cold shower for a minute. In the second week, stay under the cold shower once for two minutes. In the third week, do the same once for three minutes. And in the fourth week, stay under the cold shower once for five minutes, without taking a warm shower first. It is also good to give your hands and feet an ice bath once a week. Fill a bowl with cold water and add lumps of ice or ice cubes. If you don’t have an ice-maker, you can buy ice cubes at the supermarket. Put your hands in the ice water for two minutes and then do the same with your feet. Would you prefer to sit in an ice bath or swim outdoors in the winter? We certainly encourage that but it is advisable to try it first with someone who has experienced it before. Day Cold shower Breathing exercise Retention time 1 _____________________ ____________________ ____________________ 2 _____________________ ____________________ ____________________ 3 _____________________ ____________________ ____________________ 4 _____________________ ____________________ ____________________ 5 _____________________ ____________________ ____________________ 6 _____________________ ____________________ ____________________

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