Incredible breathing tricks help this man WARM UP in freezing temperatures that should trigger hypothermia

MEET Wim Hof, the man who can spend two hours in ice without getting cold.

While most of us would have died of hypothermia after being exposed to extremely cold temperatures, incredibly Wim's body temperature actually rises slightly.

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The 57-year-old from the Netherlands features in tonight's episode of Incredible Medicine: Dr Weston's Casebook on BBC Two.

Dubbed 'The Iceman' Wim's body can withstand freezing temperatures.

He is the the world record holder for enduring extreme cold and has even climbed Mount Kilimanjaro - the highest mountain in Africa - in shorts.

Wim holds an impressive 26 world records - including a world record for longest ice bath.

He has set records for swimming beneath ice, wearing nothing but swimming trunks, and being immersed within it but still did not succumb to the cold.

He has broken his own longest ice bath record numerous times.

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In most people, if we are exposed to extreme cold our body temperature drops.

If our body temperature drops more than two degrees from its natural 37 degree temperature, we become hypothermic.

Hypothermia can cause our heart and respiratory system to fail.

Most of us will lose consciousness within 15 minutes and would die within an hour.

But Dr Gabriel Weston asks: "But Wim Hof can spend nearly two hours in ice and emerge unharmed, so how is he able to survive?"

To answer this question, Wim meets a team of researchers at Rajabhat University Medical Centre in the Netherlands.

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The medical team took key measurements to find out exactly what happens in his body when he is submerged in ice.

Mathius Cox, a researcher at the university, was part of the team that looked into Wim's case.

He said: "All sorts of things were measured, so we measured metabolism, his skin temperature and all kinds of autobiometrics to learn more about this interesting ability of his to withstand extreme cold."

Dr Weston reveals: "The test revealed that when he is in ice, Wim's core temperature doesn't drop like you would expect - it actually goes up slightly.

"It sounds impossible, but scientists have found the answer in his blood."

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But Wim puts his ability to withstand the extreme cold down to special breathing techniques and being able to “turn his own thermostat up” by doing so.

Current studies think that by consciously hyperventilating, Wim is able to increase his heart rate, adrenaline levels and blood alkalinity.

Experts also believe that Wim possess much higher levels of brown adipose tissue – which helps his resistance to the cold.

Wim is also able to hold his breath with ease for over six minutes while his entire body is submerged.

The incredible story of The Ice Man will air tonight on BBC Two at 9pm.

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