New research suggests that exposing your body to cold temperatures could make you lose weight quicker.
In a joint study conducted by researchers at the Leiden University Medical Centre and the University of Nottingham, scientists noticed a more rapid drop in weight amongst 47 people with obesity after wearing an ice vest.
They believe that the daily cold exposure could help activate “brown fat” helping to generate heat by burning calories and therefore body fat.
“This is one of the first studies looking at the impact of cold exposure over a prolonged period of time, involving people with overweight and obesity,” said Dr Mariëtte Boon, the study’s lead researcher at Leiden University Medical Center, according to The Times.
“We know that exposure to cold temperatures prompts the body to activate brown fat, a type of fat that burns calories to produce heat. We also know that exposure to the cold activates skeletal muscles. These also generate heat, amongst others via shivering, to raise the core body temperature.”
Half of the test group wore a cooling vest and lost 0.9kg of almost pure body fat over a period of six weeks while a control group gained an average of 0.6kg over the same period, according to the findings presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul this week.
Dr Boon is now conducting a study on whether cold showers could have the same effect in research involving 34 women in the Netherlands.
Several celebrities including the Princess of Wales and David Beckham have extolled the virtues of a cold plunge or ice bath using the “Wim Hof” method with several studies suggesting a varying degree of benefit of the practice.
Prof Helen Budge, of the University of Nottingham, said: “Daily cold exposure activates brown fat, which uses body fat stores to produce heat. It is our hypothesis that cold showers and cold swimming could have the same effect [as wearing a cooling vest].”
She added: “The vest is not uncomfortable. They have been made for everyday use. There are certain occupations which already use them such as the construction industry in summer.
“Vests like this can be worn at home, and so cold exposure could be a simple and inexpensive addition to lifestyle strategies for weight loss such as healthy eating and physical activity.”
Ice baths or cold showers may not be directly comparable to the vests however as the “cooling vest is a much longer period of exposure than the shower.”
“We hope people can find a method of cold exposure that works for them and fits into their daily routine,” says Dr Boon.
However, experts advise getting medical advice as the practice can also be associated with increased cardiovascular risks.
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