👋 Hey. Welcome to issue #140 of The Everyday Athlete Newsletter.
Here are my 3 favourite ideas, learns and resources to help you improve your performance this week (4 min read):
🧊 This viral ice bath for women video needs more nuance
You may have seen this vid doing the rounds on socials.
In it, Dr Stacy Simms (who is a bit of a wizard when it comes to women's health) says:
- Women don't need ice-cold water for metabolic and physiological benefits
- Water at 15-16°C is enough to make women shiver (where the metabolic benefits happen)
Now, there is certainly research to say women may not need to use ice baths as cold as men do—for some of the benefits of cold exposure.
But there's also some important nuance missing from this video.
So before you ramp the temp up, consider:
1. 😮💨 Cold is a stressor
Cold exposure isn't just about metabolic effects. One of the biggest benefits is stress resilience.
See, the cold is a stressor. So if you can get into the cold and control your response to it, you get better at controlling stress outside the tub.
This benefit isn't gender-specific. It comes from exposure to temps that feel challenging but manageable.
What are you after? Recovery? Mental resilience? Metabolic benefits? Less inflammation?
Higher temps might be enough for the physical benefits. But for the mental, it'll vary. Different goals, different protocols.
2. 😥 Factor in your current stress levels
If you're stress levels are already running hot (sh*t sleep, intense training, work pressure, etc), adding intense cold might push your system into overdrive.
Context matters. Particularly when choosing your optimal cold temp.
3. 📈 Adaptation is progressive
What feels impossibly cold today becomes doable with reps.
Start where you are challenged (not where someone else is). And you'll gradually adapt.
For some, that might be 15°C. For others, it could be 5°C.
4. 🧪 What are your hormones up to?
Women's cold tolerance can change through their menstrual cycle—hormonal changes affect thermoregulation.
What feels doable during one week might feel more cooked the next.
To wrap it up...
Everyone's different.
Rather than fixed temperature rules based solely on gender, consider your individual response, adaptation level, and current context.
💊 Arny's 99-page supplement guide
Arnold Schwarzenegger's health and fitness company just put out a supplement guide called...
It's accurate. And thorough.
Worth a look.
🍇 Is fruit making me fat?
No.
"But aren't grapes basically sugar bombs?"
I hear a version of this question a lot.
And my response:
I promise you no one in the history of the world has gotten fat from eating too much fruit.
And yes, it's supported by research...
E.g. One giant review found that eating more whole, fresh fruit is actually linked to lower body weight, reduced calorie intake, and less belly fat—despite fruit containing natural sugars.
Why?
Mostly because of the fibre (plus the vitamins, minerals, and thousands of phytonutrients that support metabolism).
See, when you eat an apple, you're getting sugar, yes—but it's packaged up in fibre.
Which dramatically slows absorption.
Preventing insulin spikes that can drive hunger and cravings.
But careful how you pound it. This is where some nuance comes in:
- 🍎 Whole fruits = gradual sugar release + built-in portion control
- 🧃 Fruit juices = rapid sugar hit + easy to over consume
- 🥤 Smoothies = somewhere in between (depending on what else is in there—ahem, include protein and fat)
Because blending changes the fibre structure.
Thought experiment:
Try eating 4 oranges. Now try drinking the juice of 4 oranges.
One fills you up. The other goes down faster than a rugby post-match boat race.
The chewing, the fibre structure, the volume—it all signals fullness to your brain in a way those slippery processed foods don't.
Your body knows what to do with a banana. The same can't be said for banana-flavoured breakfast cereal with 27 ingredients you can't pronounce.
The low-hanging fruit of improving your diet (yes, a pun!), very very very likely isn't eating too much fruit.
Eat the fruit. Enjoy it. But maybe limit the juice.
Unless!
You want the sugar to hit quick e.g. to load up on or replenish glycogen around intense training.
Context is important.
That's it!
Have a great weekend 🤙
Matt
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The Everyday Athlete Newsletter is not a licensed health service nor a substitute for professional health advice, treatment or assessment. The information shared in this email is general and written for a specific audience. If you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional.
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