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Observational Study
. 2022 Apr;50(4):3000605221089883.
doi: 10.1177/03000605221089883.

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

Tereza Petraskova Touskova  1 , Petr Bob  1   2 , Zdenek Bares  3 , Zdislava Vanickova  4 , Daniel Nyvlt  3 , Jiri Raboch  1
Affiliations
Observational Study

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

Tereza Petraskova Touskova et al. J Int Med Res. 2022 Apr.

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.

Keywords: Cortisol; Wim Hof Method; depression; hormone release; melatonin; observational study; psychophysiological training; stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Statistical differences between the intervention group (G1) and the control group (G2). The vertical axis describes the score differences between the groups at the end of the expedition.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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