Reinventing Cool

Readers are unlikely to have come across the term cryotherapy, which means the therapeutic use of cold, although you may have already heard of the work of the Dutchman Wim Hof. This book is an introduction to cold thermogenesis, a practice lasting only three minutes, but for which there is a growing database of clinical benefits. It is documented to have beneficial effects against inflammation, pain and ageing, as the author-practitioners explain, using extremely cold air in a chamber. The treatment delivers a thermal shock that stimulates the body’s self-healing mechanisms, leading to the release of endorphins and an offsetting of inflammation. The authors discuss the effects on a number of specific conditions on different timescales. They make it clear that this approach is very different from ice baths and cold bathing, and can be carried out under controlled conditions. A clear and interesting introduction.