A novel Wim Hof psychophysiological training program to reduce stress responses during an Antarctic expedition

Abstract

Objective The aim of this prospective observational study was to investigate the effects of a novel Wim Hof psychophysiological training program on stress responses and hormone release in healthy participants during an Antarctic expedition. Methods All members of an Antarctic expedition were included in the study. The participants were healthy volunteers allocated to an intervention group (n = 6) and a control group (n = 7). The intervention consisted of 8 weeks of Wim Hof training. The training program comprised three integrated parts: breathing exercises, cold exposure and meditation. Psychometric measures (the Beck Depression Inventory and the Trauma Symptom Checklist-40) and neuroendocrine measures (cortisol, melatonin) were assessed pre- and post-intervention. Results The results showed that the 8-week training program significantly reduced stress responses, as indicated by a reduction in depressive symptoms. A non-significant reduction in cortisol was also observed. Conclusions These data constitute preliminary findings indicating that the Wim Hof Method may positively affect stress symptoms and adaptability of the hormonal system to respond adequately to the circadian rhythm in healthy volunteers who participated in an Antarctic expedition.

Does the Wim Hof Method have a beneficial impact on physiological and psychological outcomes in healthy and non-healthy participants? A systematic review

“…Of the nine papers included, there were eight individual trials. Four of the trials performed the full WHM [ 7 , 10 , 12 , 15 ] and four did only WHBM [ 6 , 8 , 11 , 15 ]. The application of WHBM differed between studies as some studies had one breathing exercise [ 6 , 8 , 11 , 12 ] while others had two breathing exercises [ 7 , 10 , 13 , 15 , 16 ].…”

“…All studies had the same description of the meditation technique except for Petraskova Touskova et al . [ 12 ]. All the authors described it as visualisations meant to promote complete relaxation, while Petraskova Touskova et al .…”

“…described it as a form of focusing to obtain self-awareness and will-power. Out of the nine papers, five conducted a randomised controlled trial (RCT) design [ 10 , 11 , 13 , 15 , 16 ], three conducted a crossover RCT design [ 6 – 8 ], and one conducted a prospective cohort design [ 12 ].…”

“…Most of the articles were judged as high concern due to the difficulty in blinding the participants and researchers to the intervention. For the cohort study [ 12 ], the SIGN tool was used. The cohort study was scored ‘unacceptable’ as it was not able to reduce the possibility of bias or confounding.…”

“…In Petraskova Touskova et al . study [ 12 ], the group not practising WHM had higher, but statistically non-significant cortisol levels at the end of the expedition (p = 0.327) compared to WHM-trained participants [ 12 ]. Whereas Kox et al .…”