Morozko Forge Ice Baths

11/27/2025

Autism is often described as a complex condition with many contributing factors, yet a clearer pattern is emerging around one central pathway: mitochondrial impairment during early brain development. When mitochondria are disrupted in pregnancy or infancy, the developing brain can shift onto atypical growth trajectories. Conditions such as gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, placental insufficiency, and exposure to valproate all affect mitochondria and are associated with significantly higher autism risk, pointing toward a shared biological mechanism.

A common and challenging experience for families is sudden neurodevelopmental regression—loss of speech, eye contact, or engagement—following an immune activation like fever or illness. Rather than being the original cause, this type of activation may function as a trigger in a child whose mitochondria were already under stress. Environmental factors such as PM2.5 air pollution and acetaminophen can also elevate mitochondrial load, increasing the likelihood of regression events.

Research continues to show that therapies supporting mitochondrial function can improve outcomes for some children. Prescription folate (leucovorin), L-carnitine, CoQ10, magnesium, vitamin B6, and ketogenic metabolic approaches have all demonstrated measurable benefits. Because neuroplasticity and learning require high energy availability, strengthening mitochondrial health appears to improve the brain's ability to develop new pathways and respond to behavioral therapies.

Water-based activities are another repeated theme in autism communities, with warm-water hydrotherapy already known to reduce certain ASD symptoms. What remains untested is whether cold-water exposure could offer additional metabolic benefits. Cold immersion triggers mitochondrial biogenesis, ketone production, activation of brown fat, and release of neuroprotective proteins like RMB-3, FGF-21, and BDNF. Early observations at Morozko—including a nonverbal child speaking his first word during a period of frequent cold swimming—suggest the need for further exploration.

While autism has many influences, the mitochondrial pathway offers a unified way to connect them and understand why certain interventions show promise. Cold exposure has not yet been studied as an autism intervention, but the underlying biology highlights it as a meaningful area for future scientific research.

Read the full article:
https://www.morozkoforge.com/post/what-causes-autism-mitochondria

11/27/2025

Most of us learned that mitochondria are simply “the powerhouse of the cell,” but new science paints a far more impactful picture. In Episode 17 of Uncommon Living, Columbia University’s Martin Picard, PhD, joins Thomas P Seager, PhD, to explore how mitochondria shape nearly every aspect of human biology from energy and hormones to mental health and disease.

Picard introduces a “mitocentric” model of human physiology. Instead of seeing DNA as the master blueprint, he argues that mitochondria govern how cells live, die, differentiate, and communicate. They direct the flow of energy that ultimately determines how well we function physically, psychologically, and metabolically.

Key insights from the conversation:

• Mitochondria control cellular decisions. They influence cell differentiation, regulate cell death, and shape metabolic pathways across organs.
• All s*x hormones originate in mitochondria. Testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, cortisol — their synthesis begins at the mitochondrial membrane, linking mitochondrial health to mood, motivation, and mental well-being.
• Mitochondria govern the epigenome. Metabolites produced in mitochondria write and erase the chemical marks that turn genes on and off.
• Mental health is deeply mitochondrial. Disruptions in mitochondrial function can affect drive, fatigue, mood, and psychological resilience.
• Mitochondria can move between cells and organs. Emerging evidence shows they can be transferred through the bloodstream, offering potential paths for therapeutic repair in conditions such as cancer or metabolic disorders.
• Cold exposure and exercise can support mitochondrial renewal. Picard and Seager discuss how practices that stress the system like cold immersion, may trigger mitochondrial biogenesis and improve energetic flow.

Together, they present a model of human biology that is less mechanical and more energetic — where the body acts as an information network coordinated by mitochondrial signals rather than simply a collection of parts.

Read the full article here:

Mitochondria regulate cell differentiation, division, and death. They are the site of s*x hormone synthesis and steer brain development. Martin Picard PhD calls mitochondria the CEOs of human physiology.

11/26/2025

If you’ve spent any time online, you’ve probably seen two opposite claims about cold plunging and testosterone: one says ice baths skyrocket testosterone, the other says there’s no evidence cold increases testosterone at all. This article steps away from the noise and looks at what we actually know—starting with documented cases backed by lab work.

In 2017, Thomas P. Seager, PhD was a 51-year-old engineering professor with a PSA of 7.0 ng/mL and total testosterone of 736 ng/dL. Instead of biopsy, he used intermittent ketogenic diet and deliberate cold. As Phoenix tap water warmed and cold showers weren’t cold anymore, he moved to daily ice baths. His PSA dropped to 1.5 ng/mL and his testosterone rose to 1180 ng/dL, with luteinizing hormone at 8.9 mIU/mL. His co-founder Jason Stauffer saw similar results, rising from 550 to 913 ng/dL. After Joe Rogan mentioned this in 2022, the question “Do ice baths increase testosterone?” suddenly became a trending topic, and while some medical professionals dismissed it, more lab-confirmed reports started arriving from both men and women.

The article compiles several verified cases. Sean Smiley (43, male), a firefighter captain recovering from a traumatic saddle injury and long-term hypogonadism, raised his testosterone from the low 200s to 595 ng/dL in 35–45 days of cold immersion and breath work, and later to 773 ng/dL, along with better mood and s*xual function. Pamela Butler (60, female), who had surgical menopause after hysterectomy and oophorectomy, began daily plunges at 46°F. Her testosterone increased from 14 to 168 ng/dL and estradiol from 20 pg/mL to 32 pg/mL. She also reported reduced anxiety, depression, and osteoarthritis discomfort, eventually discontinuing steroid injections and testosterone supplementation. Eloise DeSoutter (32, female) plunged at 2–8°C for four months and nearly doubled her testosterone (0.6 → 1.1 nmol/L), tripled estrogen, increased muscle mass by 2%, and decreased fat mass by 2%, alongside improvements in mood, confidence, libido, and energy.

Two male case studies showed even greater increases. David Wootten (43, male), a disabled 82nd Airborne veteran with PTSD, saw his testosterone jump from the 700–800 ng/dL TRT range to 1454 ng/dL and later 1733 ng/dL after adopting daily morning ice baths, while also noting major improvements in memory, anger, anxiety, PTSD symptoms, and s*xual function. David Morris (47, male), initially on TRT after low testosterone in the 200s, began pre-exercise cold plunging and increased his levels from ~800 to 1100 and then 1330 ng/dL, with roughly 40 pounds of weight loss, more energy, and stronger libido.

The article also notes two counterexamples: one man on lisinopril (which reduces testosterone), and another on allopurinol (which may lower testosterone in some cases). Their declines appear linked to medication, emphasizing that context matters.

Mechanistically, the connection between cold exposure and testosterone runs through mitochondria. Testosterone synthesis begins with cholesterol, but the critical conversion step happens inside mitochondria. When mitochondrial quality improves, steroidogenesis improves. When mitochondrial function is impaired—due to poor diet, lack of cold exposure, poor sleep, seed oils, or light dysregulation—hormone production suffers. Exercise and cold exposure both support mitochondrial biogenesis, and research suggests the combination may be especially effective.

The article also explores differences between men and women. Even though women have lower total testosterone, it is still their dominant s*x hormone by quantity. Women produce testosterone via ovaries, adrenals, skin, and fat, which may explain why some studies show larger cold-induced hormonal changes in women than in men. In cases like PCOS, where women overproduce testosterone, cold exposure may help regulate ovarian function and improve metabolic markers.

The piece closes with the honest conclusion: there is no definitive clinical trial proving cold plunge as a treatment for low testosterone. Variables like dose, s*x, timing (pre- vs post-exercise), metabolic stress, medication, and mitochondrial health all influence outcomes. But the growing number of documented increases—across s*xes, ages, and backgrounds—paired with what we know about mitochondrial steroidogenesis, makes the “cold has no effect on testosterone” narrative increasingly outdated. The evidence is building, and more people are noticing.

Full article:

Case studies demonstrate how proper use of ice baths can increase testosterone thru mitochondrial mechanisms of steroidogenesis. Follow these protocols to boost s*x hormone levels without drugs.

11/25/2025

Most people don’t realize that ozone is the strongest and safest disinfectant available for water, far more effective than chlorine or bromine and perfectly matched to cold water. This is why Morozko uses ozone exclusively instead of halogens.

Ozone is simply oxygen rearranged into a three-atom form (O₃). That extra oxygen atom makes ozone a powerful oxidizer capable of destroying:
• bacteria
• viruses
• algae
• organic contaminants
• volatile industrial chemicals
• even Ebola, according to published research

The USEPA has confirmed ozone achieves “higher levels of disinfection than chlorine or UV.” It also removes odors, improves clarity, and enhances filtration by promoting particle coagulation. Research shows ozone is twice as potent as chlorine and over 3000× faster.

So why isn’t it used in swimming pools or city drinking water? Because ozone is unstable in warm water. It breaks down rapidly into oxygen and hydroxide. You can’t store ozone like chlorine. You must generate it at the point of use.

Here’s the irony: the weakness of ozone in hot water becomes its strength in cold water.
Warm water destroys ozone.
Cold water preserves it.

In an ice bath, ozone stays dissolved longer and can reach higher effective concentrations. That’s why chlorine works in hot tubs and ozone works in cold water.

Morozko uses a high-quality arc-discharge ozone generator, not the weak UV ozone systems found in hot tubs. Every system is validated with:
• ORP readings in the tub (500–900 mV)
• Ozone gas sensors above the water (to ensure air levels stay safe)
• pH measurements (since ORP depends on pH)

Ozone on your skin is beneficial. Ozone in your lungs is not. The good news: the human nose detects ozone at incredibly low levels (1–50 ppb), long before OSHA’s 0.1 ppm exposure limit. The “lightning smell” tells you disinfection is complete.

In Phoenix, Morozko tests every unit for:
• airborne ozone
• water ORP
• water pH
• filtration timing

Home units usually require only 120 minutes of ozone per night. Commercial units (PRO, XL, Arktika) run more to match higher bathing loads.

Chlorine chemistry was designed for heated pools.
Ozone is the natural disinfectant for freezing cold water.

Full article:

Ozone is the most powerful disinfectant any cold plunge can use. The colder the water, the greater the power of the ozone.

11/24/2025

For decades, people with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis have been told the same thing: it’s permanent. It’s autoimmune. It can be managed but never reversed. Medication for life.

But real stories challenge that narrative — and Dr. Courtney Hunt’s is one of the clearest examples. She had Hashimoto’s herself, complete with the classic hypothyroid “moon face” and a body struggling to keep up. Instead of accepting that future, she changed it.

She combined a ketogenic diet with regular cold plunging and reversed her condition. No symptoms. No medications. No abnormal blood markers. Her transformation isn’t just visible — it’s measurable.

The science behind this centers on brown fat (BAT). Most adults barely have any brown fat left because our modern lives are too warm. We heat everything: houses, cars, offices. Without cold exposure, brown fat disappears.

That matters because brown fat does something remarkable:
It produces thyroid hormone.
It converts T4 into T3.
It listens to the thyroid — and talks back.

In people with hypothyroidism, cold exposure normally triggers brown fat to burn stored energy and create heat. But if the brown fat is gone, the body’s only option is shivering — an emergency response that uses glucose and lipids but doesn’t restore balance.

Cold immersion fixes that. Dr. Hunt’s cold plunges signaled her body to grow new brown fat, re-activating pathways that support thyroid regulation. Her thyroid didn’t heal because she avoided cold — it healed because she embraced it.

This isn’t outside the scientific literature. Studies show:
1. Brown fat is loaded with thyroid hormone receptors
2. Thyroid hormone works synergistically with cold-induced norepinephrine
3. Higher thyroid hormone levels correlate with more active BAT
4. BAT converts T4 → T3 more efficiently than the thyroid
5. Even thyroid-removed patients with active BAT produce more TSH

And there’s a surprising update:
A woman with Graves’ disease, the opposite of Hashimoto’s, also improved with ice baths. Instead of overstimulating her thyroid, cold exposure helped bring her levels down — showing that brown fat doesn’t just speed metabolism; it stabilizes it.

Cold exposure may be one of the most natural ways to rebuild metabolic balance. In a world where we’ve engineered away every discomfort, this might be the exact stimulus our bodies are missing.

Full article:

Cold plunge therapy reverses Hashimoto's thyroiditis by recruiting brown fat & stabilizing thyroid function.

11/23/2025

Cold plunges are usually talked about in terms of breath, discipline, metabolism, or mindset. But there’s a piece most people never think about, the electrical side of the experience and it turns out to be just as important.

Every day, we disconnect ourselves from the Earth without noticing. Synthetic shoes. Synthetic carpets. Insulated car interiors. Plastic tubs. Plastic flooring. Modern life is basically a full-time barrier between our bodies and the ground. Those barriers let static charge build up in us. We don’t feel it happening, but the effects are real: thicker blood, higher clotting risk, more inflammation, more strain on the heart, and a nervous system that’s running with an electrical imbalance.

Grounding (earthing) fixes that by letting excess charge drain out of the body. People feel it as calm. Under a microscope, you see it as red blood cells separating and moving freely again.

The surprising thing is how much stronger grounding becomes in cold water — if the water itself is grounded.
When Brian Hoyer stood barefoot in the grass, he measured 0.53 microamps of current flowing into the earth. When he put one hand into a Morozko Forge, that number jumped to 30 microamps. That’s over twenty times the grounding effect of barefoot on the lawn.

This is why natural water is so restorative. Rivers, lakes, oceans - all of them are automatically grounded. Before plastic tubs existed, cold water without grounding simply didn’t exist in nature.

Grounding does more than balance charge. Studies show improvements in sleep, HRV, muscle recovery, pain, inflammation, circulation, and even mitochondrial performance. UC Davis researchers found that grounded mitochondria produce more ATP and fewer reactive oxygen species than ungrounded ones.

There’s a perfect example from Arizona. After hours working indoors, a scientist posted microscope photos of her blood. Her red cells were clumped and sticky — classic signs of high viscosity. Then she walked barefoot outside for 30 minutes. The next sample showed her cells completely separated and moving freely.

The grounding effect fades quickly though. She found it only took about an hour of indoor time for her blood to start coagulating again. That’s why frequent, short plunges can be more effective than long, occasional ones.

Grounding is built into every Morozko Forge. It’s verified by third-party testing because grounding through cold water isn’t something you should have to guess about. Acrylic and plastic tubs can never provide this benefit because the water inside them is electrically isolated. The Forge connects you back to the Earth the moment you touch the water.

If you’ve ever wondered why some plunges feel different than others, grounding is the missing piece.

Full article:

Morozko ice baths keep your body grounded during your cold plunge, improving blood flow, reducing inflammation, & promoting wound healing.

11/22/2025

Most people think the ice bath is about the cold. But the real transformation happens in your mind.

The psychology of cold immersion begins in chaos — the gasp reflex, the spike of fear, the instant your body screams “get out.” It’s an involuntary fight-or-flight response wired into your nervous system. But what makes the ice bath different is what comes next. If you stay, breathe, and surrender, your body activates the mammalian dive reflex, shifting you into deep parasympathetic calm.

This isn’t a metaphor. It shows up in the brain.

Whole-body immersion produces brain-wave patterns calmer than those recorded during warm, dry meditation — even for people who have barely meditated at all.
The brain literally quiets itself when the body is fully submerged in ice water.

Thomas P. Seager, PhD discovered this firsthand. Ice baths became a tool for managing his travel anxiety, navigating divorce, handling financial challenges, and facing the fear of prostate cancer. During his deepest health scare, cold immersion didn’t just support his physical recovery — it helped him manage the emotional weight of uncertainty.

He tested others to see if their brains responded the same way.
A personal trainer meditated indoors with a Muse headset recording her brain waves. Then she plunged into a freezing Morozko for four minutes. Her brain was calmer in the ice bath — from the moment she submerged to the moment she stepped out. Seager has replicated this pattern in other subjects, including a special-forces veteran whose HRV improved with cold training.

Cold water becomes a teacher:

You learn to control your breath under stress.

You learn not to escape intensity.

You learn to overcome the automatic reactions of your own body.

You learn calm under conditions that demand courage.

Some people jump out immediately — and that’s normal. Ice baths don’t reward fighting. They reward presence. When you stop resisting the cold, you access a level of stillness that changes how you navigate the rest of your life.

Seager’s favorite interpretation of fear comes from Masten Kipp:
“Fear is a compass that points you in the direction of your dreams.”

In the ice bath, you feel that truth in your bones.

Full article:
https://www.morozkoforge.com/post/ice-bath-psychology

Psychological benefits of ice baths are found at temperatures that frighten you. After acclimation to cold water, a cold plunge will not have the same psychological effect as a true ice bath.

11/21/2025

11/21/2025

Cold showers and ice baths are often mentioned in the same category, but anyone who has tried both knows they can feel completely different. Cold showers are usually the first step people take into deliberate cold exposure. They’re convenient, cost nothing, and you can turn the handle and start immediately. But the experience depends heavily on where you live. In warm places like Phoenix, tap water can be close to 90°F, which means a “cold” shower sometimes isn’t cold at all. Even when the water is cold enough, the sensation of only certain parts of the body getting hit by the cold can feel sharp, stressful, and irritating.

In contrast, full-body immersion in an ice bath creates a very different response. Many people report feeling calm in the ice bath and then energized, clearer, and even euphoric afterward. That difference doesn’t just come down to mindset, it reflects how the body reacts to whole-body cold exposure. Partial cold exposure triggers the initial shock and the sympathetic “fight-or-flight” feeling, but full immersion also activates the mammalian dive reflex, which strengthens the parasympathetic “rest-and-digest” response. That combination can shift the whole experience from stressful to restorative.

The article also breaks down the differences in water quality. Shower water is typically purified with chlorine and can contain fluoride and trihalomethanes formed during disinfection. These compounds don’t go away—they’re replenished as long as the shower is running. Morozko ice baths use ozone for disinfection instead, which means chlorine-related compounds diminish over time. The water can also be enhanced with Epsom salts or other minerals.

Another major contrast is grounding. A normal indoor shower is isolated from the earth. Morozko ice baths are electrically grounded, echoing the sensation of Seager’s earliest cold immersions outdoors with bare feet on the ground in the Phoenix sun. That grounding element is a part of the experience that a shower simply can’t replicate.

Cold showers still have a place, especially for travel. In colder climates, such as London in the winter or Banff with glacier-fed water—the naturally cold tap water can deliver a strong exposure. With better breathing and posture, the cold shower experience can improve. But the emotional outcome remains noticeably different. Many people feel stressed after a cold shower but restored and uplifted after an ice bath.

The article ends with one very important safety reminder: anyone with chronic high blood pressure should talk with their physician before starting cold exposure of any kind. For some, beginning with sauna-induced vasodilation may be the safer first step before moving into cold therapy.

If you want a deeper look at the differences between cold showers and ice baths, you can read the full article here:
https://www.morozkoforge.com/post/cold-showers-vs-ice-baths

Ice baths have several advantages over cold showers, although they are more expensive.

11/20/2025

There are FIVE reasons someone might not want to buy a Morozko, and only one reason they would.

1. Morozko is the most expensive ice bath on the market. No matter where you look, on google or reddit, one of the most common complaints about Morozko is its price.
2. An influencer says that cold plunging is bad for you. It’s currently popular to trash talk ice baths on the internet, even when many have experienced their benefits. To some, it might be easier to just not buy an ice bath than to explain it to their skeptic brother in law when he visits their home.
3. It’s too big. Not everyone has room for an ice bath in their home, especially if the only place they can put it is on an apartment patio. It also might be difficult to explain why you have 1,000 lbs of ice water on your balcony to your landlord.
4. Their friend already owns a Morozko. Some people can just cold plunge at their friend’s house, or have a membership to a gym or spa that has a Morozko.
5. They don’t like SeagerTP. He’s okay with this, and accepts that he isn’t for everyone.

With all these reasons NOT to get a Morozko, what might compel someone to get one? The reason is courage. It takes courage to get into a 32 degree ice bath every morning, even when you don’t want to. Everyone knows that taking an ice bath isn’t easy, but they still do so. The Morozko customer is brave.

For more information on this topic, search “Why not to buy Morozko,” and look for our new article “Why Some People Might Not Want to Buy a Morozko.”

11/19/2025

founder of told on the Uncommon Living podcast that it actually gets easier to tolerate the ice bath the longer you stay in.

Ice baths have the opposite hormetic stress curve of exercise or heat stress. Exercise tends to get to start out easy, while stress gradually builds and peaks at the end of the workout. Cold is the opposite, the first 30-45 seconds are the hardest the ice bath will ever be. After you pass that threshold, the dive reflex kicks in, activating your parasympathetic nervous system, allowing you to relax.

For more information on this topic, listen to episode 25 of The Uncommon Living podcast, available on Youtube, Spotify, and wherever else you listen to podcasts.

11/18/2025

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