For serious bouts of uncontrollable sexual appetite masochistic Victorian Doctors would prescribe freezing ice cold baths to temper the tempted.
Nowadays athletes use this old school chastity treatment to repair their muscles after a tough workout.
Small fibre tears occur in the muscles during vigorous exercise which cause tiny amounts of internal bleeding. An ice cold shower or bath of 5 to 10 minutes causes the vessels to constrict and forces blood flow out of the limbs.
When you eventually pull yourself away from the cold water your body warms and oxygenated blood flushes the muscles and repairs the damage.
Other health benefits:
Better Immune Function - mildly stressing the body with cold water stimulates the immune system and increase the bodies white blood cell count.
A Natural High - endorphins, our bodies natural painkillers, are released in order to take the sting out of the cold. Also our parasympathetic nerve which is responsible for producing serotonin and dopamine (other feel good chemicals) is stimulated by the cold. NB it may take a few sessions before you notice the euphoria!
Burns Calories - whilst in cold water the body works hard to keep itself warm which results in more calories being burnt.
Increased Testosterone - cold water stimulates the production of testosterone which is another naturally occurring chemical in the body. Testosterone aids muscle development, strength and endurance. Contrary to the Victorian's belief that cold water cures sexual appetite it can actually increase ones sex drive as testosterone is also a sex hormone.
