Dr. Susanna Søberg: How to Use Cold & Heat Exposure to Improve Your Health | Huberman Lab Podcast

🌰 Wisdom in a Nutshell

Essential insights distilled from the video.

1. Deliberate cold and heat exposure enhances metabolism, improves health, and reduces disease risk.
2. Cold thermogenesis activates the body's response, increasing alertness and relaxation.
3. Cold showers activate brown fat, regulating body temperature.
4. Cold exposure activates brown fat, aiding in temperature regulation and metabolic health.
5. Adapting to stimuli like light, temperature, and cold can boost immunity and thermal regulation.
6. Cold and sauna exposure can activate brown fat, improve mood, and enhance sleep.
7. Deliberate cold exposure of 11 minutes per week, in shorter sessions, can provide health benefits.
8. Gradual cold exposure can improve vascularity and offset disease symptoms.

📚 Introduction

Deliberate exposure to cold and heat can have profound effects on human metabolism, hormone health, and neurotransmitter production. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of cold exposure, the science behind it, and practical tips for incorporating it into your daily life.

🔍 Wisdom Unpacked

Delving deeper into the key ideas.

1. Deliberate cold and heat exposure enhances metabolism, improves health, and reduces disease risk.

Deliberate exposure to cold and heat can enhance human metabolism, improve hormone health, and impact neurotransmitter production. Cold exposure can increase brown fat thermogenesis, leading to changes in metabolism and weight. It can also improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood pressure, reducing the risk of lifestyle diseases. Inflammation can be reduced through cold exposure, promoting healing. There are male/female differences in temperature and metabolism, which may affect the duration of cold exposure needed. For brief exposures, the protocol can be similar for both men and women, with the stress response being greater for those who dread the cold.

2. Cold thermogenesis activates the body's response, increasing alertness and relaxation.

Cold thermogenesis, a topic of interest for many years, has been studied extensively, providing valuable insights into its impact on human physiology. The process of deliberate cold exposure, such as cold plunges and sauna, activates the sympathetic nervous system, leading to increased heart rate and alertness. The catacola means, including dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine, are also released. The temperature of the water is crucial, with uncomfortably cold water triggering the cold shock response, which includes hyperventilation and a faster breathing rate. However, with practice and adaptation, the shock subsides. The diving response, activated by submerging in cold water, slows down oxygen consumption and heart rate, leading to a calming and relaxation response. Submerging in cold water can decrease blood flow to the brain, increasing the risk of hypothermia. Wearing a beanie can help keep the ears warm and prevent dizziness caused by cold water and wind. In saunas, wearing a wool cap can help insulate the brain and allow you to stay in the sauna longer.

3. Cold showers activate brown fat, regulating body temperature.

Cold showers and cold immersion can activate your brown fat, increasing your metabolism, and regulate your body temperature. The impact of cold showers depends on the exposure of cold to your cold receptors in your skin. Cold immersion up to the neck is more effective in activating your brown fat and muscles to regulate your body temperature. However, cold showers are harder to study due to variations in body size and positioning, and more research is needed to understand their effects.

4. Cold exposure activates brown fat, aiding in temperature regulation and metabolic health.

Cold receptors on the skin activate the brain's temperature regulating center, triggering the release of neurotransmitters that activate brown fat, aiding in temperature regulation. Shivering, induced by cold exposure, increases metabolism and burns calories, activating brown fat and warming the body. Brown fat, located in specific areas, plays a role in regulating metabolism and is associated with insulin sensitivity. It can be activated through exposure to cold temperatures, increasing insulin sensitivity and decreasing unhealthy fat. Measuring brown fat can be done using infrared thermography cameras. Activating brown fat is rapid and can occur within a few minutes of exposure to cold. It is important to maintain and activate brown fat to promote metabolic health.

5. Adapting to stimuli like light, temperature, and cold can boost immunity and thermal regulation.

Our bodies adapt to stimuli like light, temperature, food, and movement, with seasonal changes in Nordic countries being particularly dramatic. This adaptation can be beneficial, such as wearing fewer layers in the fall to prepare for winter and more layers in the spring to stay cool in the summer. This concept, based on the idea of increasing resistance to the cold and boosting the immune system, is seen in practices like putting babies outside to sleep in the cold. Similarly, wearing a t-shirt in a cold environment can activate brown fat and improve thermal regulation. However, it's important to consider factors like smaller body size and energy usage when approaching cold exposure, as hypothermia is a risk for smaller bodied people.

6. Cold and sauna exposure can activate brown fat, improve mood, and enhance sleep.

The study explored the effects of cold and sauna on metabolism and brown fat. Participants, mostly winter swimmers, were exposed to cold water for one to two minutes, followed by two to three rounds of dips and two sauna sessions. The sauna temperature was around 80 degrees Celsius, and they stayed there for 10 to 15 minutes. The participants repeated this process two to three times a week. The study found that this cold and sauna exposure could activate the brown fat, providing energy and a positive feeling. It also observed psychological benefits such as improved buffering against anxiety and improved sexual satisfaction, as well as better sleep quality. The choice of clothing during cold exposure does not affect the benefits, and the tradition of naked winter swimming is fading away due to the presence of cameras and the fear of being photographed.

7. Deliberate cold exposure of 11 minutes per week, in shorter sessions, can provide health benefits.

The benefits of cold exposure, such as reduced blood sugar and improved brown fat distribution, can be achieved with deliberate cold exposure of 11 minutes per week, divided into shorter sessions. This can be done in cold water or a sonar, with a recommended duration of one to three minutes per session. It's important to not become too cold adapted, as the benefits depend on the cold shock response. Varying the temperature in your cold plunge or sauna can also provide the same benefits. It's not necessary to expose yourself to extremely cold temperatures all the time, but varying the temperature will keep your system off balance and keep it tuned.

8. Gradual cold exposure can improve vascularity and offset disease symptoms.

Deliberate cold exposure can have various benefits, including offsetting symptoms of diseases like Ray Nodes syndrome, improving vascularity, and activating the nervous system. It is recommended to gradually expose hands and feet to cold and heat for maximum effectiveness. While there is no specific study on the effectiveness of cold exposure for Ray Nodes, some individuals have reported improvement. It is also common to do deliberate cold exposure first thing in the morning while fasted, although there are no known studies on this specific topic.

💡 Actionable Wisdom

Transformative tips to apply and remember.

Incorporate deliberate cold exposure into your daily life by taking cold showers, going for cold plunges, or using a sauna. Start with shorter durations and gradually increase the time as you adapt. Vary the temperature in your cold exposure sessions to keep your body challenged. Remember to prioritize safety and listen to your body's signals. By embracing the power of cold, you can enhance your metabolism, improve hormone health, and experience numerous health benefits.

📽️ Source & Acknowledgment

Link to the source video.

This post summarizes Andrew Huberman's YouTube video titled "Dr. Susanna Søberg: How to Use Cold & Heat Exposure to Improve Your Health | Huberman Lab Podcast". All credit goes to the original creator. Wisdom In a Nutshell aims to provide you with key insights from top self-improvement videos, fostering personal growth. We strongly encourage you to watch the full video for a deeper understanding and to support the creator.