Cold water therapy fanatics are always looking for tips and tricks to make their practice more effective. This includes whether it’s making reusable ice or discovering the best time to have an ice bath. We can make many small changes to promote the benefits of cold water therapy that extra bit greater! If you’ve heard of Andrew Huberman then you may have heard his advice on how to dry after an ice bath to maximise the metabolic benefits.
In this article we will be uncovering how to best dry after an ice bath if you’re interested in ice bathing properly, the reasons why, and who exactly is Andrew Huberman.
How to dry after ice bath
Most people will dry off with a towel straight after an ice bath or jump straight into the sauna if they’re practicing contrast therapy. However, according to Andrew Huberman, this reduces the benefits of an ice bath when it comes to the metabolic effects.
Allowing your body to dry off naturally, with arms extended in the open air as described by Andrew Huberman in the below video. Our body is forced to activate some of the warming programs related to metabolism.
This discovery was made by Susanna Søeberg and is known as the Søeberg principle. This principle says that forcing the body to reheat on its own without external help and allowing the body to shiver can enhance the metabolic increases from cold therapy. Shivering actually further activates brown fat thermogenesis.
So to be clear, after your ice bath or cold shower, dry off by doing the following:
- Get out of the ice bath and extend your arms and legs out to allow the air to naturally dry
- Slowly reheat your body naturally, this could be done with light exercise which can actually boost testosterone.
- Refrain from using a towel to dry yourself
- Refrain from having a warm shower
Who is Andrew Huberman?
Andrew Huberman is a neuroscientist and professor at Stanford School of Medicine. Andrew is best known for his podcast, Huberman Lab, which launched in 2021 and has grown exponentially in popularity. He has been featured on other famous podcast platforms including the Joe Rogan Experience.
Huberman has made many impactful scientific contributions to brain function & development and neural plasticity, which is the nervous system’s ability to reprogram itself to a new set of behaviours and skills.
Part of Huberman’s approach to his communication is translating neuroscience into positive habits that can be used in our day-to-day lives. Huberman has brought great awareness to some important topics including:
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