How Does Cold Water Immersion Affect You?

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"I have never been in water that cold. It feels like you're on fire," says the swimmer. "It was one of the most painful things I've ever done", he adds. 'If I didn't have Ross there coaching me through it, having also done it and even to even more extremes, I would have questioned it to no end'

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Chris Hemsworth, best known for his role as Thor in the Marvel movies, joins Peter to discuss his recent work in the docuseries called Limitless. In the docuseries, Chris undertook extreme challenges to explore his physical and emotional limits and gain insights into longevity. In this episode, Chris discusses these many challenges—from fasting to arctic swims to 100-foot rope climbs—as well as the insights that he gained from each. Peter, who also played a role in the docuseries, guides Chris through the science of longevity, including what Chris’s APOE-ε4 genotype means for his risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, Chris describes how his outlook on health, happiness, work-life balance, and more have changed from his experience on Limitless.

We discuss:

Limitless: how Chris got involved and his overall experience filming the docuseries [3:00];
“Fasting” ‒ ep. 3 of Limitless in which Chris attempts a 4-day fast [8:15];
“Shock” ‒ ep. 2 of Limitless in which Chris swims in the Arctic Ocean [12:15];
Cold exposure: the potential physical and mental benefits [19:30];
“Strength” ‒ ep. 4 of Limitless in which Chris explores how muscle can improve longevity [21:15];
The APOE-ε4 genotype and Alzheimer’s disease risk [31:30];
How Chris uses sauna [39:45];
“Acceptance” - ep. 6 of Limitless in which Chris explores the meaning of life by contemplating death [42:15];
Chris’s new perspective on work-life balance [52:00];
“Stress-Proof” - ep. 1 of Limitless in which Chris learns about the impact of stress and how to manage it [54:30];
Chris reflects on his intrinsic motivation driven by both fear and purpose [58:00];
Chris reflects on his career arc and how his presence as an actor has evolved [1:01:15];
How Chris’s outlook has changed since filming Limitless [1:05:00]; and
More.