Biohacking and hardening: How cooling tubs promote health and performance

01. 10. 2024

Biohacking, the approach to optimizing the body and mind to increase performance, vitality and longevity, has become a popular topic in recent years. And one of the key tools in this area is hardening, especially using cooling vats. This trend, which combines traditional practices with current scientific research, is becoming an integral part of modern biohacking.

What is biohacking?

Biohacking encompasses a variety of techniques and approaches to improve physical and mental health. This can include changes in diet, supplementation, use of technology to monitor health, meditation, but also extreme methods such as hardening. The goal of biohacking is to take the body and mind to new levels of performance and resilience.

Hardening as part of biohacking

Hardening is a practice that consists in gradually exposing the body to cold in order to strengthen the immune system, improve blood circulation, increase resistance to stress and promote muscle regeneration. Cooling tubs, often filled with cold water or ice, are an ideal tool for regular hardening.

This method is not new – people have been using cold for centuries as a means of regenerating and strengthening the body. What is new, however, is the combination of these traditional techniques with the scientific approach of biohacking. Science confirms that short-term exposure to cold has a number of positive health effects, including improving metabolism, strengthening the immune system and speeding up regeneration.

How does cooling bath hardening work?

Bathing in cold water (mostly around 10-15°C) stimulates the body to adapt to extreme conditions. This process involves the activation of so-called brown adipose tissue, which is able to burn calories to produce heat. This not only helps with weight loss, but also improves body thermoregulation. In addition, cooling increases the production of norepinephrine, a hormone that improves mood and helps fight depression.

Another benefit is the support of muscle regeneration after intensive training. Cold causes blood vessels to constrict, which reduces inflammation and swelling. After leaving the tub, the blood vessels expand again, which improves blood circulation and accelerates the flushing of metabolic wastes from the body.

Why is a cooling tub better than a shower?

Many people start their hardening with a cold shower, which is a great start. But the cooling tub offers an even deeper experience. In the tub, the body is fully immersed in cold water, which creates a more intense and uniform cold shock that activates the body’s adaptive mechanisms faster and more efficiently.

In addition, bathing in a tub creates space for deeper mental focus and breath control, which brings psychological benefits. This moment can be an opportunity for meditation and mindfulness, further enhancing the benefits of hardening.