What Are Heat Shock and Cold Shock Proteins?
How your daily ice bath or sauna session is giving you more benefits than you think thanks to cold shock and heat shock proteins
Activating Heat and Cold Shock Proteins With Sauna and Ice Baths
The benefits of deliberate exposure to heat in one of the many types of saunas or taking a regular cold plunge in an ice bath tub, cold shower or icy lake are well known and far-reaching.
The most common reasons people engage in some sort of habituated ice bath or sauna therapy is for exercise recovery benefits, increasing relaxation and dealing with pain and muscle soreness. But, there is another mechanism at play when you are sitting in a hot sauna, or immersing the body in cold water – shock proteins.
Heat shock proteins from sauna and cold shock proteins from ice baths offer some of the biggest benefits of sauna and ice bath but are not as well known. In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about heat shock and cold shock proteins, what they do and how you can maximise them.
Shock Proteins – What Are They?
Whether you are sitting in a hot sauna at 90 -100 degrees C or sitting in an ice bath at 5 -10 degrees C, you are creating an environmentally stressful situation for the body.
It is for this reason cold exposure can be dangerous. But, in response to this stress of extreme hot or cold temperatures, the body produces heat or cold shock proteins as a coping mechanism to protect the cells from stress.
Cold Shock proteins are produced by the body when exposed to extreme cold environments, particularly cold water. Cold shock proteins, of which there are 8 human varieties, were originally identified in bacteria exposed to cold.
Read Also: The Best Portable Inflatable Cold Plunge Tubs of 2023
The most common cold shock proteins that have been identified and studied in humans are:
CARHSP1
Lin28
YB-1
“Cold shock protein research is on the verge of entering clinical trials in different fields, especially for advanced cancer disease”, which is a potentially huge revelation for the humble cold plunge practice in that it may hold keys to cancer treatment.
Conversely, heat shock proteins are produced by the body in response to extreme hot temperatures, like those you expose yourself to in a sauna or infrared sauna. While heat and cold shock proteins are triggered by different environments, they both serve the purpose of cellular homeostasis and cell protection.
There are a large number of important heat shock proteins that have been identified in humans, but the most common and most studied are:
HSP60’s
HSP70’s
HSP90’
SP100
Heat shock proteins inhibit inflammatory pathways and play an important role in the immune response, making them beneficial for exercise recovery, strengthening the immune system, and pain management.
Why We Want More Shock Proteins
The ‘activation’ of shock proteins from ice baths and sauna therapy is beneficial on a number of levels. Although the concept of deliberately inducing a stress response in the body from extreme temperatures may seem counterintuitive, this type of stress creates what is called a hermetic response.
Hormesis is basically an adaptive response to stress stimulus. Quite literally, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. The idea of releasing your body’s stress proteins on purpose sounds counterintuitive. Much of what is recommended to us is to reduce as much stress as possible. This does hold true for unnecessary work, life and social stress, however there is evidence that self-inflicted stress from things like cold plunge and heat stress from a sauna produce different results to the stressors that are not intentionally placed on ourselves.
Hormetic stress is about providing an optimal level of a certain stimulus, not too much not too little, to encourage the body to adapt, become stronger and build resilience. This type of adaptive hormesis can also be produced by exercise and is a key physiological response that has a plethora of health benefits, athletic performance effects and links to increased lifespan.
Benefits of Cold Shock Proteins
Cold shock proteins from cold water immersion provide some pretty spectacular benefits for exercise recovery, reducing inflammation, wound healing and potential benefits for cancer and preventing tumour growth.
There is evidence that cold shock proteins from taking an ice bath can help to reduce loss of muscle mass during bouts of decreased physical exercise. This can be a game changer during periods of injury or limited movement for athletes, in order to maintain muscle mass.
“CIRP and RBM3 predominately respond to hypothermia in mammalian cells. Specifically, RBM3 increases in response to hypothermia which leads to a decrease in apoptosis which could prevent a decrease in skeletal muscle mass”.
Dr Rhonda Patrick discusses the benefits of cold shock proteins on her podcast and website FoundMyFiitness, where she explains that they “promote cell survival, activates antioxidant enzymes and may offer neuroprotective qualities”. The cold shock protein RBM3, which we have discussed in our other article on the neuroprotective and neuroplasticity benefits of ice baths, have been directly linked to neurogenesis, facilitating the regeneration of damaged neurons. In this way, cold shock proteins may have exciting utility for treatment of neurodegenerative issues like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Traumatic Brain Injury.
The cold shock protein, YB-1 offers benefits in promoting wound healing and may also hold crucial information for cancer disease research.
Benefits of Heat Shock Proteins
Heat shock proteins released when we spend time in a sauna, infrared sauna, sauna blanket or even from physical exercise, have a variety of benefits for promoting cell health, reducing inflammation and pain, and increasing athletic performance.
The science on the benefits of “sauna bathing” have definitely made me increase my use of saunas to maximise the benefits of heat shock proteins. The dose dependant nature of using saunas for their benefits, shows that men who use saunas 4-7 timers per week are 50% less likely to die from cardiovascular related diseases. Similarly, increased sauna use also shows benefits for reducing the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s, dementia or psychotic disorders.
The heat shock proteins that are released from sauna use, which mimics the physiological effects of moderate cardiovascular exercise, have benefits relating to “immune function, cell signalling and cell cycle regulation”, according to Dr Rhonda Patrick.
Damaged and disorder proteins are common features of cardiovascular disease, and these cells can aggregate and lead to neurodegenerative diseases. Heat shock proteins can repair these damaged proteins. The HSP70 and HSP90 heat shock proteins are the most abundantly produced from heat stress, and the shock protein HSP70 has been shown to increase lifespan in women.
The FOX03 proteins is another important protein that ties the benefits of sauna to optimal health. The FOX03 proteins are shown to regulate a large number of genes relating to DNA repair, tumor suppression, immune function and age related decline.
By driving heat acclimation, sauna use holds the key to reducing protein degradation by boosting HSP release, which is overall beneficial for reducing oxidative damage, dramatically increasing growth hormones, improving insulin sensitivity, increasing endurance, and reducing inflammatory biomarkers linked to depression.
Conclusion on Shock Proteins
The easiest way to activate cold and heat shock proteins is by engaging in a regular ice bath or sauna therapy practice. By immersing the body in cold water or even just taking regular cold showers, you will be helping to produce cold shock proteins that have many proven and potential benefits for the body. These benefits include enhanced cognitive function, improved mood, increased resilience to stress, and support in the regeneration of neurons and synaptic connections.
By sitting in a sauna or sauna blanket at temperatures between 60-100 degrees Celsius, or even by heating the body with intense exercise, you are likely activating beneficial heat shock proteins. These proteins can help reduce inflammation, build a strong immune system, and alleviate pain. Heat shock proteins also assist in repairing damaged cells, protecting against oxidative stress, and improving muscle function and recovery.
Regular cold exposure, such as through ice baths or cold showers, stimulates the release of cold shock proteins like RNA-Binding Protein Motif 3 (RBM3). RBM3 is crucial for protecting brain cells, promoting synaptic regeneration, and potentially preventing neurodegenerative diseases. This practice not only boosts mental clarity and alertness but also enhances overall physical resilience.
On the other hand, heat exposure through sauna therapy triggers the production of heat shock proteins that offer multiple health benefits. These proteins support cellular repair mechanisms, enhance immune function, and reduce inflammation. They also improve cardiovascular health by promoting better blood flow and reducing blood pressure.
Incorporating both cold and heat therapies into your routine can create a powerful synergy for optimal health. Alternating between ice baths and sauna sessions, known as contrast therapy, can further amplify these benefits. This practice involves cycling between cold and hot treatments, which stimulates circulation, boosts the immune system, and accelerates muscle recovery.
For those new to these practices, it’s essential to start gradually and listen to your body’s signals. Begin with shorter sessions and lower temperatures, gradually increasing the duration and intensity as you become more accustomed to the extremes. Consistency is key to reaping the full benefits of activating cold and heat shock proteins.