Does Cold Plunging Actually Help You Lose Weight?
American Glutton
American Glutton
4.9 • 3K Ratings
🗓️ 8 June 2026
⏱️ 48 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Ever wondered if bracing the intense cold could unlock a better version of yourself? Ethan sits down with journalist and author Chris Ballard to explore the chilly world of cold plunges and endurance ice swimming.
Moving past the initial weight loss hype, Chris explains the true value of freezing temperatures: building mental resilience by consistently doing hard things. They discuss the massive physiological rush of dopamine, the deep community bonds built through shared physical trauma, and how intentionally putting your body through physical stress acts as a powerful, accessible intervention for mental health.
Stay updated on Ethan's journey and get exclusive insights by signing up for his newsletter at
https://ethansuplee.substack.com/subscribe.
00:00 Cold Plunge Evolution
03:25 Athletic Perspectives and Injury Recovery
04:58 Debunking the Weight Loss and Brown Fat Myth
09:15 Dopamine Spikes and the Body's Cold Response
14:36 The History and Shared Trauma of Ice Swimming
25:46 Managing Mental Health with Physical Stress
32:40 Low-Impact Advantages for Aging Bodies
39:00 Facing Nature, Tides, and Wildlife
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Guys, have you heard that I have a weekly live stream that I love audience participation with? |
| 0:08.1 | Do you have a question? Have you emailed a question? Do you love the Q&As with Paige? |
| 0:12.4 | Come ask me your question. The show is called Lifelong. It's on every Monday, 7 p.m. Eastern |
| 0:19.4 | Live. We love audience participation. |
| 0:23.5 | Come join us. |
| 0:24.9 | Go to 2way. |
| 0:26.0 | That's the number 2, W-A-Y, 2-W-A-D-TV slash EthanSupley, and I'll see you Monday, 7 p.m. Eastern Lifelong. |
| 0:39.0 | Hi, I'm Ethan Soply. Welcome to American Blood. |
| 0:43.1 | Outside of acting, my two favorite things to do are diet and eat. |
| 0:47.1 | I have a very complicated relationship with food, and on this podcast, we're going to talk about all of it. |
| 0:52.4 | Food as entertainment. Food as it. Food as entertainment. |
| 0:55.2 | Food is sport. |
| 0:56.9 | Food as fuel. |
| 1:01.3 | I'll talk to experts and the average person, just like you and me. |
| 1:06.4 | I hate to ask you to do anything, but if you're enjoying this show, please take a moment to like, subscribe, rate, review, all of the above on whatever app you're getting it from. |
| 1:13.2 | My guest today is Chris Ballard, author of the upcoming The Plunge, Maverick Swimmers, |
| 1:19.9 | An Unlikely Quest and the Transformative Power of Cold Water, available from Simon and Schuster, |
| 1:26.7 | June 9th. What a fun conversation. And I just want to say he |
| 1:31.5 | really sold me on swimming for bigger bodied people. Please enjoy our conversation. |
| 1:39.8 | Chris Ballard, welcome to the American Glutton podcast. |
| 1:45.6 | This is exciting. |
| 1:47.5 | I'm really happy to be here. |
... |
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