None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
This semi-randomised control trial aims to investigate the effectiveness of the Wim Hof breathing method and cold immersion (compared to an active control condition) for promoting stress reduction, resilience, recovery, cognitive functioning, and overall mental health and well-being. The present research combines 24/7 physiological biometric capture, daily experience sampling, and survey measurements across the study period (including a 2-week baseline, 4-week intervention period, and 3-month follow-up period). By measuring physiological, cognitive, and subjective measures, and continuing to monitor participants post-intervention, we aim to contribute to the growing body of knowledge concerning the potential benefits of the Wim Hof Method. In particular, assessing whether it is a suitable and effective strategy for stress reduction, performance optimisation, and mental health enhancement. Hypothesis 1: Onboarding/Exit Measures (Pre/post the 4-week study intervention) We hypothesize that there will be an improvement in post-intervention scores compared to pre-intervention baseline scores across all three conditions. We expect Condition 1 to show greater improvements than Conditions 2 and 3, and Condition 2 to show greater improvement than Condition 3 in the post-intervention outcome measures. Hypothesis 2: Daily Momentary Measures (Pre/post daily intervention) We hypothesise that there will be an improvement in post-daily intervention scores compared to pre-intervention daily scores across all three conditions. We anticipate the improvement to be greater in Conditions 1 and 2, relative to Condition 3, for the momentary outcome measures. Hypothesis 3: Daily Measures (Post daily intervention) We predict better Stroop task scores (lower Stroop interference effect, faster reaction times, and greater accuracy) and N-back task scores (greater accuracy and faster reaction times) in the daily post-intervention cognitive tasks in Conditions 1 and 2, relative to Condition 3. Hypothesis 4: Daily Physiological Recovery (Nightly post-intervention) We predict improved average nightly physiological recovery (greater sleep: quantity (duration) and quality (slow wave sleep and rapid eye movement sleep), and cardiovascular functioning: higher heart rate variability, and lower resting heart rate and respiratory rate) in Condition 1 compared to Condition 2 and 3, and greater recovery in Condition 2 than condition 3.
Interventions
Breathing and Cold Immersion Intervention (In-Person) and Breathing and Cold Immersion Intervention (Remote):
Participants in both the in-person and remote arms will engage in the combined breathwork and cold immersion interventions as described below. Both conditions will practice daily self-administered breathwork and cold immersion (shower). In-person participants (Sydney CBD knowledge workers) will be invited to attend a research-run ice bath session held in the Sydney CBD once per week for
Breathing and Cold Immersion Intervention (In-Person) and Breathing and Cold Immersion Intervention (Remote): Participants in both the in-person and remote arms will engage in the combined breathwork and cold immersion interventions as described below. Both conditions will practice daily self-administered breathwork and cold immersion (shower). In-person participants (Sydney CBD knowledge workers) will be invited to attend a research-run ice bath session held in the Sydney CBD once per week for the 4-week intervention duration. Certified Wim Hof Method (WHM) instructors will be present to guide participants through this practice. For safety, we are not requesting the remote group to engage in a once-weekly ice bath as we cannot provide the same supervision and support. Description - Breathing Component: Participants will engage in a daily breathwork practice, involving controlled hyperventilation followed by breath retention. The guided breathwork video was created by Wim Hof and follows the WHM breathing and retention techniques. Frequency/Duration - Breathing Component: Daily practice for 29 days of the guided breathwork exercises for 15 minutes. Mode of Administration - Breathing Component: Remote and in-person: Participants will receive guided instruction and supervised breathing practice via a live and recorded onboarding webinar with a certified WHM instructor. Additionally, participants will have access to a pre-recorded guided breathwork video link for their daily practice. Administering the Intervention - Breathing Component: Certified WHM instructor via live and recorded onboarding webinar as well as via the pre-recorded Wim Hof guided breathwork video link. Adherence Monitoring - Breathing Component: Participants will receive written instructions and engage in daily Qualtrics surveys accompanying the intervention videos. The surveys will include questions about adherence to the intervention, including recording the duration of participation in the breathwork exercises. Adherence data will be captured through Qualtrics survey analytics. Description/ Frequency/Duration - Cold Immersion Component: Participants will be asked to engage in daily cold immersion in the shower during their daily morning shower routine. They will be asked to full submerge their bodies while engaging in controlled breathing. Participants will be provided with specific cold immersion timings listed below: Week 1: 1 minute Week 2: 1.5 minutes Week 3: 2 minutes Week 4: 2.5 minutes Mode of Administration - Cold Immersion Component: In-Person: Participants will engage in cold showers and have the option to attend a weekly community ice bath session hosted by the research team. Remote: Participants will engage in cold showers only. Administering the Intervention - Cold Immersion Component: In-Person: Research team members and certified instructors. Remote: Participants are only asked to engage in self-administered daily cold showers. They are not asked to participate in the additional once-weekly ice bath immersion, as the remote group may not be located conveniently to the research administered ice bath, and we cannot provide certified instructors outside of the research run ice baths. Adherence Monitoring - Cold Immersion Component: In-Person: Attendance at weekly ice bath sessions and completion of the pre-post ice bath survey, which contains an executive function task and records the duration of the ice bath. Remote: Adherence to cold showers and increasing durations will be monitored through Qualtrics surveys. Biometric Device Description- The biometric capture device employed in this study is the WHOOP (Boston, MA), a wrist-worn wearable technology designed to continuously monitor and record key physiological parameters. The device measures sleep duration, sleep stages, heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), motion, skin conductance, and temperature. By capturing these metrics in real-time, the device provides a comprehensive understanding of participants' physiological responses to daily activities, stressors, and sleep patterns. The device pairs with a smartphone app which, once synced via Bluetooth, uploads and stores the participant physiological data. The device is charged with a remote battery pack which connects to the wrist worn device without the need to remove the device during charging. This device has been used in numerous field research studies and has been validated for collecting both sleep and cardiac metrics. Biometric Device frequency- Participants wear the device 24/7 during both the 2-week baseline and 4-week intervention phases. Participants are also invited to continue to wear the device after the completion of the intervention phase so we can measure their physiology in conjunction with their 1, 2, 3 month follow up surveys. Biometric Device Adherence Monitoring: The research team will monitor adherence to the biometric capture device through the device’s team portal. The portal provides information about which participants are offline (no data collection). This will enable prompt assistance if any participant experiences technical difficulties with their device. Data Collection Intervention Phase: Daily for 29 days (daily survey, intervention activities, cognitive tasks sent via Qualtrics link in-app or via email).
Sponsors
The University of Queensland
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
- Individuals living in Australia or New Zealand - Individuals with or without the study's biometric capture device (devices will be supplied to those without) - Individuals who are 18 years or older and speak English - Individuals who are NOT currently engaging in or with extensive previous experience of any breathwork, meditation, or cold immersion practices.
Exclusion criteria
Participants who self-report moderate to severe psychiatric or medical conditions that may potentially worsen during study involvement will not be eligible to participate. These conditions include heart disease, respiratory difficulties, hypertension, diabetes, glaucoma, history of seizures, pregnancy, psychosis, suicidality, bipolar disorder, and substance use disorders. Additionally, we will not include participants with severe vision or hearing impairments, as these could hinder their ability to fully engage in study activities such as reading study materials and watching or listening to instructional videos for the interventions.
Outcome results
None listed