Laura Fullerton (@laurafullerton) is the founder of the high-performance ice bath brand Monk. In this episode, Richard (@the_breath_geek) and Joseph (@therungaguy) dive into:

How cold exposure uniquely benefits women (and what week of your cycle to plunge)
Why temperature matters way less than you think
The secret link between trauma, PTSD recovery, and the cold
The biggest myths about ice baths (and why “harder” isn’t always better)

Get ready to rethink what you know about cold therapy, stress resilience, and performance.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:01 – Meet Laura Fullerton: founder of Monk Ice Baths and unexpected ice bath enthusiast

00:44 – Laura’s first (reluctant) plunge and life-changing breathwork experience

03:49 – Why the more afraid you are, the bigger the dopamine reward

04:18 – How the menstrual cycle affects cold tolerance: when women should (and shouldn’t) plunge

08:37 – Should you plunge when sick or hungover? (spoiler: probably not)

09:44 – Ice baths and inflammation: how plunging helped endometriosis symptoms in a pilot study [Liability Note]

11:07 – Does cold exposure blunt muscle growth? Here’s the real nuance

14:37 – When cold plunging boosts athletic recovery and endurance pre-cooling

16:14 – Carnivore Aurelius says cold plunges are bad? Here’s why that’s misleading

17:23 – Gender differences: how men vs women experience the benefits of cold

19:54 – Is cold therapy a lasting health trend—or just a stepping stone to something bigger?

24:03 – Joseph’s near-death hypothermia story (and accidental DMT experience)

26:00 – Swearing during cold plunges: surprising science about pain tolerance

28:47 – Laura’s #1 ice bath myth she wishes would disappear

33:26 – Behind the scenes: building Monk, hardware + software in the biohacking space

38:36 – Monk’s vision: syncing cold therapy with your biometrics

40:08 – How cold plunging could help PTSD and mental health for veterans

48:55 – Cold immersion, menstrual cycles, and psychedelics—new research insights

53:46 – Why women’s health research is finally (slowly) catching up

57:45 – How to find Monk, Laura, and what’s coming next

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228 | Laura Fullerton: Rethinking Cold Exposure, Ice Baths & Biohacking for Women