Deliberate Cold Exposure — How to Do it RIGHT with Dr. Andrew Huberman | The Proof Podcast EP 205

Benefits of Brown Fat

• Brown fat allows the body to feel warm in cold temperatures and acts as a furnace for metabolism. It is enriched in certain areas of the body such as the clavicles, upper back, heart, and liver.

• Deliberate cold exposure increases the density of brown fat, leading to improvements in core resting metabolism, blood lipid and insulin management, and mental resilience.

"Deliberate cold exposure increases the density of brown fat in adults and allows them to feel more comfortable in cold temperatures."

Deliberate Cold Exposure and Brown Fat

• 11 minutes of deliberate cold exposure per week, divided into sessions of two to three minutes, is enough to increase the density of brown fat in adults.

• Cold exposure can be achieved through cold showers, ice baths, getting into the ocean or a lake, or even applying ice packs on the body.

• The key is to get uncomfortably cold, which varies for each individual, while ensuring safety.

"11 minutes a week, divided up into a couple sessions of two to three minutes of deliberate cold exposure, increases the density of brown fat in adults."

Guidelines for Deliberate Cold Exposure

• It is recommended to aim for 11 minutes of uncomfortable cold exposure per week, divided across multiple sessions.

• Safety is important, so it's crucial to choose cold exposure methods that are not dangerously cold and to listen to one's own comfort level.

• Cold showers have less scientific evidence due to the challenges of conducting studies in a laboratory setting, but they can still be effective.

"You need to get uncomfortably cold for 11 minutes a week. It could be done with a cold shower or any other method that gets you uncomfortably cold."

Effects of Cold Exposure

• Cold exposure leads to vasoconstriction followed by vasodilation, resulting in better perfusion and blood flow.

• Dopamine levels increase significantly, leading to mental clarity and alertness.

• Cold exposure also boosts metabolism and enhances fat loss and lipolysis through the activation of shivering.

"When you get into cold, there's a big increase, 2.5 times increase in dopamine that lasts for several hours."

Methods of Cold Exposure

• Activating shivering is important for enhancing fat loss and lipolysis. Shivering releases succinate, which activates brown fat and further increases metabolism.

• Standing in the cold while damp can induce shivering, even if it didn't occur initially.

"If you want to enhance fat loss and lipolysis, activating shivering is key."

Safety and Duration of Cold Exposure

• It's important to ensure cold exposure is safe and not dangerously cold, finding an uncomfortable yet manageable temperature.

• The recommended duration for each session of cold exposure is two to three minutes, but it can vary depending on individual tolerances.

"You want to get uncomfortably cold and stay in for a period of two to three minutes."

Cold Exposure: Build Resilience

• Overriding limbic friction through voluntarily subjecting oneself to cold water builds mental resilience.

• Special operations and screening tools often involve deliberate cold exposure to enhance mental and physical resilience.

"Forcing people to deliberately get into cold bodies of water that are really uncomfortable helps build resilience."

Quote

"Deliberate cold exposure increases the density of brown fat in adults and allows them to feel more comfortable in cold temperatures."