Scientists discover why ‘The Iceman’ can cope with cold weather
- Wim Hof, from the Netherlands, has baffled the world of science for decades
- Now experts say they’ve figured out why he can cope in freezing temperatures
- In the first ever trial of his talent, they found a region of his brain is more active
- His periaqueductal gray matter spiked when he was exposed to cold weather
Stephen Matthews For Mailonline
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Wim Hof, from the Netherlands, has baffled the world of science for decades
Wim Hof has baffled the world of science for decades with his bizarre ability to withstand freezing cold temperatures.
But now scientists believe they’ve figured out why ‘The Iceman’ has yet to enter a state of hypothermia – which can kill in minutes.
And they claim his Wim Hof Method, simply concentrating hard on keeping warm, could work as a painkiller and mood booster.
In the first ever trial of the Dutch man’s bizarre talent, the 57-year-old and 20 other adults were exposed to 15°C (59°F) water.
Body temperatures drop dangerously low in such scenarios, but tests showed the heat of his skin did not deviate once.
Striking brain scans revealed a region of his brain that controls pain is significantly more active than that of the participants.
During the experiment, Hof’s periaqueductal gray matter spiked both times he was exposed to the cold water in a special full-body suit.
In contrast, an analysis of the control group – who were affected by the cold water – showed no such spike in the brain region.
Wayne State University researchers, led by Professor Otto Muzik, pointed to Hof’s own method as the reason why he can withstand the cold.
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Professor Muzik said: ‘The willful regulation of skin temperature… is an unusual occurrence and may explain his resistance to frostbite.’
Hof, from Sittard, puts his capabilities down to his self-developed set of breathing and meditation techniques, called the Wim Hof Method.
But before now, his strange talent had baffled scientists, as they scratched their heads trying to understand how it was physically possible.
Hof holds 21 Guinness World Records, scooping one for spending nearly two hours in an ice bath. Adults are recommended to spend no more than 10 minutes in one.
A chart shows the differences in skin temperature between Hof and the participants. The red, closed circles show Hof while he is performing his own method. The red, open circles show Hof when he is in a ‘passive’ state and the blue circles show the participants in a ‘passive state’
During the experiment, Hof’s periaqueductal gray matter spiked both times he was exposed to the cold water in a special full-body suit (blue line shows the other participants)
Researchers expected Hof to show brain activity changes in a region called the anterior insula, which regulates temperature (Hof’s line is red, the participants’ average is blue)
IS THERE TRUTH TO WIM HOF’S METHOD?
When the human body is exposed to extreme cold, our core temperature drops, causing the body to enter a state of hypothermia, and eventually we freeze to death.
But 57-year-old Wim Hof, from the Netherlands, has been able to spend nearly two hours in an ice bath and emerge unharmed.
The Iceman, as he is known, has also run a full marathon above the Arctic Circle wearing just shorts.
Hof puts his capabilities down to his self-developed meditation and breathing technique – known as the Wim Hof Method – enabling him to control his body’s autonomous hormonal responses.
This was tested by researchers at Radboud University Medical Centre in the Netherlands as part of research into the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
Hof was injected with endotoxin, a substance that tricks the body into thinking it is under bacterial attack.
He should have developed a fever and flu-like symptoms but did not, so researchers concluded that there may be truth to his claims about his ability to suppress his automatic immune response.
The findings, published in the journal NeuroImage, offer the first explanation as to why Hof has such an ability to withstand the cold.
Hof wore a special whole-body suit containing water that experts could control the temperature of during the three-day study.
They measured brain changes through functional magnetic resonance imaging, and looked at what happens in his body through PET scans.
His results were compared to participants who formed part of a long-running study looking into how the brain responds to temperature changes.
The researchers expected Hof to show significant brain activity changes in a region called the anterior insula, which regulates temperature.
Professor Muzik added: ‘However, we observed more substantial differences in an area called periaqueductal gray matter, located in the upper brainstem.
‘This area is associated with brain mechanisms for the control of sensory pain and is thought to implement this control through the release of opioids and cannabinoids.’
PET scans showed it allowed him to generate heat that dissipates to lung tissue and warms circulating blood.
Researchers believe the Hof’s own method works as a painkiller and mood booster.
Hof holds 21 Guinness World Records, scooping one for spending nearly two hours in an ice bath. Adults are recommended to spend no more than 10 minutes in one
They speculated it releases endorphins in the brain, which control pain and can produce a feeling of euphoria similar to opiod drugs, such as morphine.
In a statement, they said: ‘This effect has the potential to create a feeling of well-being, mood control and reduced anxiety.’
They now believe the Wim Hof Method could be used to treat medical conditions, from auto-immune conditions to anxiety.
Professor Vaibhav Diwadkar, who was involved in the study, said the possibilities were ‘too intriguing to ignore’.
And Professor Muzik added: ‘It is not mysterious to imagine that what we practice can change our physiology.’
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