system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Does gradual cold exposure(cold showers, ice baths,etc.) Increase your blood circulation over time?

It seems to spike your metabolic rate, at least that is what I heard. Anyone know if it helps with blood circulation as well?
gpt
It most certainly does. The reason why your metabolic rate increases, is because your body is trying to keep as warm as possible, (through pilo erections (goosebumps) and minute muscle contractions. This all requires ATP, and produces heat. So your metabolic rate tends to increase. When you're exposed to the cold, your body loses heat to the environment, this heat is lost from the blood. E.g, blood that leaves the heart at 37 degrees, may arrive back at the heart at 36.8 degrees for example. Therefore it follows that circulation of blood may increase, to make up for this loss of heat and to keep on providing constant heat to your body parts. All of these activites require alot of energy, and the body has to withdraw resources from other sectors "hypothetically". This is why you can get sick when you are exposed to the cold. Your body uses all of it's energy to maintain homeostasis leaving little else for immune response. However, this increase in circulation can only be sustained for a short period of time, If this cold temperature is maintained for long enough, the bodies primary energy sources are depleted and it then one becomes hypothermic, and a couple of fingers fall off, and that sort of thing.