The science

Every claim.
Every citation.

The protocols on this site aren't built on vibes. Every modality, every dose, every sequencing decision is drawn from peer-reviewed research. The full citation index — including the studies behind contrast therapy, HRV measurement, hyperbaric oxygen, pneumatic compression, and cold-water immersion — lives here.

We're compiling it. The version below covers the citations referenced in the current protocol set.

How to read this

A protocol is a prescription, not a menu.

01

Sequence, not stack

A protocol is several modalities done in a specific order, dose, and timing. The order matters: cold before heavy strength work can blunt adaptation; the same cold after conditioning can help. We sequence for the outcome you want.

02

Evidence over fashion

Every modality here has a published evidence base behind it — we read the trials before we add the kit. Where the research is strong we say so; where it is promising-but-modest, we say that too.

03

Honest about limits

Some of what we offer is well-supported; some is supported mainly by observational data and framed as wellness, not treatment. Every claim on the site traces back to a citation in the index below.

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Currently referenced

6 studies. 7 protocols.

Hadanny and Efrati 2020
Cited in Restore

Mild HBOT (1.3-1.5 ATA) improves tissue oxygenation and reduces inflammation.

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Laukkanen 2015
Cited in Restore

Heat-shock protein activation, vascular compliance.

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Cited in Recharge

Pre-event heat priming improves cardiac output and plasma volume.

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Cited in Contrast

Heat-shock protein activation, vascular compliance.

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Cited in Flush

Heat finish primes deep sleep via core-temp rebound.

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Cited in Renew

Heat finish primes deep sleep via core-temp rebound.

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Leal-Junior / Ferraresi / Forogh 2024
Cited in Plunge + Glow

PBM at 660 nm + 850 nm is training-safe and supports mitochondrial function.

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Cited in Prime

PBM (red light) supports recovery and does not blunt training adaptation.

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Maia 2024
Cited in Flush

Intermittent pneumatic compression - perceived recovery improvement within 2 hours.

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Cited in Prime

Compression supports lymphatic flow and perceived recovery.

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Cited in Renew

Intermittent pneumatic compression - perceived recovery improvement within 2 hours.

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Roberts 2015
Cited in Plunge + Glow

Short cold (<3 min) preserves the norepinephrine response without blunting training adaptation.

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Cited in Recharge

Short cold (<3 min) preserves the norepinephrine response without blunting training adaptation.

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Theurot 2024
Cited in Restore

Short closing cold immersion supports vagal reset without blunting the HBOT response.

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Cited in Contrast

Post-CWI HRV: RMSSD SMD +0.61. Cold immersion produces a measurable vagal-tone rebound.

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Cited in Renew

Full cold dose post-training: vagal tone restoration, IL-6 / TNF-alpha reduction.

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Cited in Recharge

Post-CWI HRV: RMSSD SMD +0.61. Cold immersion produces a measurable vagal-tone rebound.

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What's next

The full citation index — covering ~40 additional studies that underpin our modality science and the next wave of protocols — is being compiled. If you want a specific study referenced, get in touch.

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