The Energy Equation: Why I’m Addicted to Cold Plunging
I woke up a bit after 4 a.m. this morning, feeling oddly excited—buzzing with a low hum of anticipation. I knew it was too early to leap out of bed, so I closed my eyes and drifted between sleep and consciousness, listening to a podcast in a sort of meditative haze. By 5:30, I couldn’t hold back any longer. I bounded out of bed like a coiled spring.
By 10.15 a.m, I was sitting across from Edward at Zest, a lush vegan hangout in Penestanan, Ubud. Edward, 50, biohacker, spiritual explorer, fellow seeker. We’d never met before. Within minutes of chatting, he leaned in and said, “You have so much more energy than I do.”
I’ve heard that a lot lately.
This isn’t ego talking. It’s observation. Something has shifted in me, and one of the biggest drivers of that shift—aside from keto, HBOT, testosterone, and my mitochondrial mission—is something raw, simple, and primal:
Cold. Freaking. Water.
The Power of Hot and Cold: Sauna + Cold Plunge
Over the past 90 days, I’ve probably done 60+ sessions of contrast therapy. That’s about four sauna/cold plunge combos a week—usually three or four rounds per session. I start in an 85°C sauna, sweat it out for 15 minutes, then drop into an 8–10°C cold plunge for a full-body immersion. I go all the way under—head and all—and then stay submerged to the neck for about a minute.
What happens inside your body during this intense temperature swing?
Your Blood on Sauna and Ice
When you’re in the sauna:
Vasodilation occurs—your blood vessels expand to help dissipate heat.
Heart rate increases similar to low/moderate cardio.
Blood volume increases, which helps regulate core temperature and can improve cardiovascular health.
Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are activated, which help repair damaged proteins and protect against oxidative stress.
Then you hit the cold:
Vasoconstriction slams into action—blood vessels narrow to preserve core temperature.
Blood is shunted from the skin and extremities back into the core, protecting vital organs.
Norepinephrine spikes (up to 500% in some studies), leading to increased alertness, improved mood, and even pain relief.
Circulation gets supercharged—the rapid shift from dilation to constriction acts like a pump, squeezing blood and lymph through the body like a hydraulic detox.
This cycle—vasodilation + vasoconstriction—is basically cardiovascular interval training for your arteries.
Hormesis: The Good Stress That Makes You Stronger
Cold exposure is a classic case of hormesis—a biological phenomenon where a low dose of something stressful (like cold, heat, or fasting) triggers a beneficial adaptive response.
The cold is a signal to your cells: “Hey, danger might be coming. Get stronger.”
In response:
Mitochondria—your energy factories—start working harder and smarter.
Your body boosts antioxidant production.
Inflammation pathways are downregulated.
Dopamine, norepinephrine, and endorphins flood your system, delivering that unmistakable post-plunge euphoria.
It’s nature’s way of fine-tuning your resilience.
Brown Fat and the Rise of Mitochondria
One of the coolest (pun intended) effects of regular cold plunging is the stimulation of brown adipose tissue (BAT)—aka brown fat. Unlike white fat, which stores energy, brown fat burns it.
Why? Because brown fat is jam-packed with mitochondria—tiny powerhouses that generate heat (via non-shivering thermogenesis) by burning calories. Cold exposure:
Activates UCP1 (uncoupling protein 1), a mitochondrial protein that drives heat production.
Stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis, especially in brown fat cells and muscle.
Helps convert white fat into a more metabolically active “beige” fat.
Translation: Cold plunges can literally increase your mitochondrial density and improve metabolic flexibility.
This is part of why I do it. It’s not just mental—it’s mitochondrial.
Other Cold Plunge Benefits Worth Noting
Anti-inflammatory effects (especially relevant for longevity, autoimmune conditions, and recovery)
Improved insulin sensitivity and blood sugar regulation
Enhanced sleep quality (especially when done in the evening)
Boosted immune function via norepinephrine and lymphatic stimulation
Increased resilience to physical and psychological stress
Euphoria in Motion
By late afternoon, I found myself walking down the main street of Ubud with my earbuds in, music blasting at 120 BPM, grinning like a teenager. I wasn’t dragging my feet—I was striding, energized, utterly alive.
It felt like I was 16 again, walking to a girlfriend’s house for our second date. That fizzy feeling of excitement, of being completely in your body, of loving every step. That’s what these protocols are giving me—the pleasure of being alive in a well-functioning, vibrant body.
The Noble Addition: Bringing Heat and Ice Home to Melbourne
Our love affair with contrast therapy didn’t start in Bali—it was born in Melbourne, we’ve even had an infra red sauna for years and our pool is bloody cold during the Melbourne winter.
About a year ago, after getting seriously hooked on the fire-and-ice ritual at a wellness centre on the Mornington Peninsular and then advancing to the next level in Bali, we made a big, slightly irrational, but deeply inspired decision: we bought our own Finnish hot sauna and cold plunge system.
I started doing regular saunas in 1983 and have had several over the years but this is the very first time I’ve had my very own cold plunge.
It wasn’t an easy choice. We already had an infrared sauna that had served us well for over a decade. On paper, it seemed indulgent—maybe even unnecessary. And financially, it was a stretch. We didn’t exactly have the spare cash lying around, so we pulled some funds from the equity in our home loan and took the plunge—literally and figuratively.
But in hindsight, it was one of the most noble investments we’ve made in our home and our health.
Now, in the cool Melbourne mornings (or evenings) or after a gym session, I can step into the dry heat of that Finnish box, sweat like a sinner in church, then climb straight into the icy depths of the plunge. I got so excited last November that I bound out of the ice bath, slipped and broke my bloody leg!! The ritual grounds me, sharpens me, detoxes me, and makes me feel powerful.
That little hut of wood and steel in our backyard isn’t just an appliance—it’s an altar of resilience, a reminder that health isn’t a luxury. It’s the foundation for everything else.
