Benefits of hormetic training?

When it comes to the impact of hormetic training, the best understanding comes through actually feeling it yourself. There’s only so much that can be measured and studied, and the subjective experience of vitality, balance, or inner peace has yet to be quantified in scientific terms. That said, there have been numerous studies showing the more easily measured benefits of hormesis.

Here we’ll focus on the three pillars of breath, cold exposure, and heat exposure:

Breath

Strategically applied breathwork protocols can have a profound affect on both acute and chronic conditions. The targeted cycling of high oxygen levels (hyperoxia) and low oxygen levels (hypoxia and hypoxemia), paired with corresponding low CO2 levels (hypercapnia) and low CO2 levels (hypocapnia) has been shown to increase longevity (Zubieta-Calleja 2017), strengthen the immune system (Harmke 2016), increase neuroplasticity (Wakhloo 2020), activate the parasympathetic nervous system (Fletcher 2000), and thereby play a fundamental role in the recovery from trauma and other acute conditions, most notably including depression and anxiety  (Bloch 2021, Feng 2017, and Nazario 2011).

Cold

Exposure to conditions of extreme cold, when done in a safe and controlled setting with appropriate recovery times, has been shown to strengthen the immune system (Gill 2017), combat depression, anxiety, and a variety of other major psychological disorders including Schizophrenia (Briley 2011 and Jedema 2008), increase neuroplasticity and neurogenesis (Kim 2019), improve muscle function through increased mitochondrial biogenesis (Memme 2019 and Sun 2016), decrease recovery times from both exercise and acute physical trauma (Banfi 2009 and Pournot 2011), and decrease inflammation whether chronic or acute (Lin 2020 and Pongratz 2014). It provides effective treatment for a wide variety of disease caused by autoimmune disfunction, ranging from Type 2 diabetes to rheumatoid arthritis (Dulloo 2013 and Lin 2020), as well as neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease (Jackson 2015 and Tsai 2020). It also increases metabolism and improves the gut microbiome (Blondin 2014 and Chevalier 2015), making it an incredibly powerful tool in the hormetic toolkit.

Heat

The appropriate and strategic use of intense heat exposure has been demonstrated to have wide-ranging benefits for both physical and mental health. Following a specific protocol of sauna use, for example, has been shown to reduce the development psychotic disorders by a full 77%, regardless of dietary habits, socioeconomic status, physical activity, and inflammatory status (Laukkanen 2017). These same studies showed a 66% lower risk of developing dementia and a 65% lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (Laukkanen 2017). It has also been shown to speed the recovery of traumatic brain injury (Umschweif 2013), and decrease all-cause mortality by 40% (Laukkanen 2015). It has been shown to provide an effective treatment for depression and other mood disorders (Janssen 2016), improve mental focus and attention in both adults and children (Wigal 2003), as well as increase metabolism (Kokura 2007) and aid significantly in gaining strength and physical endurance (Scoon 2007).

Want to learn more?

Check out these references for more info.

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