Deliberate Cold Exposure How to Do it RIGHT with Dr Andrew Huberman The Proof Po
00:00i started off my career studying thermal i started off my career studying thermal regulation that's what i did as an regulation that's what i did as an regulation that's what i did as an undergrad and so i have a deep love of undergrad and so i have a deep love of undergrad and so i have a deep love of that literature um we have a storage of that literature um we have a storage of that literature um we have a storage of of healthy fat in our body called brown of healthy fat in our body called brown of healthy fat in our body called brown fat which is literally brown under the fat which is literally brown under the fat which is literally brown under the microscope because it's rich with microscope because it's rich with microscope because it's rich with mitochondria think of it as the oil in a mitochondria think of it as the oil in a mitochondria think of it as the oil in a candle it allows you to feel warm in candle it allows you to feel warm in candle it allows you to feel warm in cold temperatures and it acts as a cold temperatures and it acts as a cold temperatures and it acts as a furnace for your metabolism it's furnace for your metabolism it's furnace for your metabolism it's generally um enriched around the generally um enriched around the generally um enriched around the clavicles upper back and around the clavicles upper back and around the clavicles upper back and around the heart a little bit around the liver it's heart a little bit around the liver it's heart a little bit around the liver it's not the blubbery fat that people not the blubbery fat that people not the blubbery fat that people generally want to have less of it's a generally want to have less of it's a generally want to have less of it's a it's an endogen it's a deep deep tissue it's an endogen it's a deep deep tissue it's an endogen it's a deep deep tissue fat fat fat uh it's really healthy children have a uh it's really healthy children have a uh it's really healthy children have a lot of it you tend to lose it over time lot of it you tend to lose it over time lot of it you tend to lose it over time unless you do cold exposure deliberate unless you do cold exposure deliberate unless you do cold exposure deliberate cold exposure is one way to enrich the cold exposure is one way to enrich the cold exposure is one way to enrich the amount of brown fat you get a a stronger amount of brown fat you get a a stronger amount of brown fat you get a a stronger furnace um and there's some wonderful furnace um and there's some wonderful furnace um and there's some wonderful science on this uh published recently in science on this uh published recently in science on this uh published recently in cell uh cell reports medicine by the cell uh cell reports medicine by the cell uh cell reports medicine by the first author is um susannah soberg um first author is um susannah soberg um first author is um susannah soberg um from denmark and it's really amazing from denmark and it's really amazing from denmark and it's really amazing work what what they showed is that work what what they showed is that work what what they showed is that 11 minutes a week 11 minutes a week 11 minutes a week divided up into a couple sessions of two
01:00divided up into a couple sessions of two divided up into a couple sessions of two to three minutes to three minutes to three minutes of deliberate cold exposure of deliberate cold exposure of deliberate cold exposure increases the density of brown fat in increases the density of brown fat in increases the density of brown fat in adults and allows them to feel more adults and allows them to feel more adults and allows them to feel more comfortable in cold temperatures when comfortable in cold temperatures when comfortable in cold temperatures when they're just walking around okay but they're just walking around okay but they're just walking around okay but also when they put themselves into this also when they put themselves into this also when they put themselves into this deliberate cold and i'll talk about how deliberate cold and i'll talk about how deliberate cold and i'll talk about how cold in a moment cold in a moment cold in a moment that then they achieve much bigger that then they achieve much bigger that then they achieve much bigger increases in core increases in core increases in core resting metabolism resting metabolism resting metabolism improvements in blood lipid uh blood improvements in blood lipid uh blood improvements in blood lipid uh blood lipid and and insulin management lipid and and insulin management lipid and and insulin management profiles and there's some other positive profiles and there's some other positive profiles and there's some other positive effects like improved mental resilience effects like improved mental resilience effects like improved mental resilience so a lot of positive effects so a lot of positive effects so a lot of positive effects really wonderful study done in humans really wonderful study done in humans really wonderful study done in humans right right right because we want to distinguish between because we want to distinguish between because we want to distinguish between mouse working when you say increased mouse working when you say increased mouse working when you say increased density of brown fat so that's not to be density of brown fat so that's not to be density of brown fat so that's not to be confused with increased body fat confused with increased body fat confused with increased body fat no no increased density so that the no no increased density so that the no no increased density so that the mitochondrial density of the brow think mitochondrial density of the brow think mitochondrial density of the brow think about the brown fat as like an oil in a about the brown fat as like an oil in a about the brown fat as like an oil in a candle that allows it to or that allows candle that allows it to or that allows candle that allows it to or that allows it to burn hotter and longer yeah it to burn hotter and longer yeah it to burn hotter and longer yeah so so so so that's one so that's one so that's one that's one um aspect the other um
02:00that's one um aspect the other um that's one um aspect the other um so 11 minutes per week so what was this so 11 minutes per week so what was this so 11 minutes per week so what was this involved well a lot of people say okay involved well a lot of people say okay involved well a lot of people say okay do i need to get into an ice bath no you do i need to get into an ice bath no you do i need to get into an ice bath no you need to get uncomfortably cold for 11 need to get uncomfortably cold for 11 need to get uncomfortably cold for 11 minutes a week that could be done with a minutes a week that could be done with a minutes a week that could be done with a cold shower that can be done by getting cold shower that can be done by getting cold shower that can be done by getting into an ice bath that could be done by into an ice bath that could be done by into an ice bath that could be done by getting into the ocean that can be done getting into the ocean that can be done getting into the ocean that can be done by getting into a lake that could be um by getting into a lake that could be um by getting into a lake that could be um it is not important how you get cold you it is not important how you get cold you it is not important how you get cold you could even put ice packs on your on your could even put ice packs on your on your could even put ice packs on your on your neck or in your whatever in your your neck or in your whatever in your your neck or in your whatever in your your pants get cold people do that pants get cold people do that pants get cold people do that uncomfortable you get uncomfortably cold uncomfortable you get uncomfortably cold uncomfortable you get uncomfortably cold how cold depends and people always say i how cold depends and people always say i how cold depends and people always say i want to give me a number well what's want to give me a number well what's want to give me a number well what's uncomfortable to you is not going to be uncomfortable to you is not going to be uncomfortable to you is not going to be uncomfortable to me and vice versa so uncomfortable to me and vice versa so uncomfortable to me and vice versa so uncomfortably cold and then the uncomfortably cold and then the uncomfortably cold and then the the key thing is that it needs to be the key thing is that it needs to be the key thing is that it needs to be safe right i mean you're not going to safe right i mean you're not going to safe right i mean you're not going to jump into 30 degree fahrenheit water jump into 30 degree fahrenheit water jump into 30 degree fahrenheit water you're gonna your heart will stop right you're gonna your heart will stop right you're gonna your heart will stop right so you you're going to try and get into so you you're going to try and get into so you you're going to try and get into chilly chilly chilly water that you want to get out but you water that you want to get out but you water that you want to get out but you can calm yourself and stay in for that can calm yourself and stay in for that can calm yourself and stay in for that period of two to three minutes period of two to three minutes period of two to three minutes sometimes it you'll be a little colder sometimes it you'll be a little colder sometimes it you'll be a little colder and other times you'll be a little and other times you'll be a little and other times you'll be a little warmer so you don't want to obsess about warmer so you don't want to obsess about warmer so you don't want to obsess about this there's one study that was done this there's one study that was done this there's one study that was done having people submerge themselves in
03:00having people submerge themselves in having people submerge themselves in water of about 60 degrees which is not water of about 60 degrees which is not water of about 60 degrees which is not particularly cold 60 degrees fahrenheit particularly cold 60 degrees fahrenheit particularly cold 60 degrees fahrenheit but they did it for 45 minutes so it but they did it for 45 minutes so it but they did it for 45 minutes so it could also be being in kind of you know could also be being in kind of you know could also be being in kind of you know you get into a pool it's not quite warm you get into a pool it's not quite warm you get into a pool it's not quite warm enough it could be that but you stay in enough it could be that but you stay in enough it could be that but you stay in longer but for 11 minutes it should be longer but for 11 minutes it should be longer but for 11 minutes it should be pretty uncomfortable you want to get out pretty uncomfortable you want to get out pretty uncomfortable you want to get out ideally if you ideally if you ideally if you why why why i should mention i should mention i should mention there's not much science around cold there's not much science around cold there's not much science around cold showers for the obvious reason that cold showers for the obvious reason that cold showers for the obvious reason that cold showers are hard to do in a laboratory showers are hard to do in a laboratory showers are hard to do in a laboratory because then you don't know are people because then you don't know are people because then you don't know are people under the is their head under are they under the is their head under are they under the is their head under are they facing it are they turning away most of facing it are they turning away most of facing it are they turning away most of these studies have been done with these studies have been done with these studies have been done with submersion but the other day when i was submersion but the other day when i was submersion but the other day when i was in boston i woke up and i thought i in boston i woke up and i thought i in boston i woke up and i thought i really want some cold exposure it was really want some cold exposure it was really want some cold exposure it was cold outside so i just walked around in cold outside so i just walked around in cold outside so i just walked around in a t-shirt i walked to to get some food a t-shirt i walked to to get some food a t-shirt i walked to to get some food um in short sleeves everyone looked at um in short sleeves everyone looked at um in short sleeves everyone looked at me like i was crazy and got 30 minutes me like i was crazy and got 30 minutes me like i was crazy and got 30 minutes of cold exposure just walking to the of cold exposure just walking to the of cold exposure just walking to the store and i ubered home because it's store and i ubered home because it's store and i ubered home because it's really cold the wind chill was pretty really cold the wind chill was pretty really cold the wind chill was pretty pretty bad pretty bad pretty bad so or pretty good i should say so i so or pretty good i should say so i so or pretty good i should say so i think you get that 11 minutes per week think you get that 11 minutes per week think you get that 11 minutes per week and that sets you up for this effect and and that sets you up for this effect and and that sets you up for this effect and it should be divided across multiple it should be divided across multiple it should be divided across multiple sessions but it could be monday tuesday
04:00sessions but it could be monday tuesday sessions but it could be monday tuesday wednesday and then you have four days wednesday and then you have four days wednesday and then you have four days off it could be monday wednesday friday off it could be monday wednesday friday off it could be monday wednesday friday it doesn't really matter it doesn't really matter it doesn't really matter so don't try and do 11 minutes in one go so don't try and do 11 minutes in one go so don't try and do 11 minutes in one go in an ice bath probably not i mean not in an ice bath probably not i mean not in an ice bath probably not i mean not at first i mean some people can do that at first i mean some people can do that at first i mean some people can do that now there are other reasons to do cold now there are other reasons to do cold now there are other reasons to do cold exposure what happens when you get into exposure what happens when you get into exposure what happens when you get into cold couple things you vasoconstrict and cold couple things you vasoconstrict and cold couple things you vasoconstrict and there's a rebound vasodilation so you're there's a rebound vasodilation so you're there's a rebound vasodilation so you're getting better perfusion and blood flow getting better perfusion and blood flow getting better perfusion and blood flow the biggest effect is a big increase 2.5 the biggest effect is a big increase 2.5 the biggest effect is a big increase 2.5 x increase in dopamine that lasts for x increase in dopamine that lasts for x increase in dopamine that lasts for several hours several hours several hours you know it's a significant increase you you know it's a significant increase you you know it's a significant increase you feel mentally clear you feel alert feel mentally clear you feel alert feel mentally clear you feel alert it increases metabolism for the reason it increases metabolism for the reason it increases metabolism for the reason we discussed before and then there's the we discussed before and then there's the we discussed before and then there's the process of getting into this cold water process of getting into this cold water process of getting into this cold water when you didn't want to and that is when you didn't want to and that is when you didn't want to and that is overriding limbic friction that's that overriding limbic friction that's that overriding limbic friction that's that top down control so you build resilience top down control so you build resilience top down control so you build resilience and no surprise there are a lot of the and no surprise there are a lot of the and no surprise there are a lot of the screening tools for special operations screening tools for special operations screening tools for special operations and other screening tools involved and other screening tools involved and other screening tools involved forcing people to get for people forcing people to get for people forcing people to get for people deliberately forcing themselves i should deliberately forcing themselves i should deliberately forcing themselves i should say to get into cold bodies of water say to get into cold bodies of water say to get into cold bodies of water that are really uncomfortable but not that are really uncomfortable but not that are really uncomfortable but not dangerously cold
05:00dangerously cold dangerously cold so so there are other effects too for instance there are other effects too for instance there are other effects too for instance if you want to enhance fat loss and if you want to enhance fat loss and if you want to enhance fat loss and lipolysis it does seem like activating lipolysis it does seem like activating lipolysis it does seem like activating shiver is key shiver is key shiver is key because when you shiver the muscles because when you shiver the muscles because when you shiver the muscles release a molecule called succinate release a molecule called succinate release a molecule called succinate succinate then goes and activates the succinate then goes and activates the succinate then goes and activates the brown fat so you get a further increase brown fat so you get a further increase brown fat so you get a further increase in metabolism in metabolism in metabolism and and and there's yet another oh and to activate there's yet another oh and to activate there's yet another oh and to activate shiver excuse me i stuttered why i said shiver excuse me i stuttered why i said shiver excuse me i stuttered why i said shiver it almost sound like i was shiver it almost sound like i was shiver it almost sound like i was shivering shivering shivering the one of the best things you can do is the one of the best things you can do is the one of the best things you can do is get into the cold get into the cold get into the cold source whatever it happens to be source whatever it happens to be source whatever it happens to be if you don't shiver while you're in if you don't shiver while you're in if you don't shiver while you're in there get out but don't dry off there get out but don't dry off there get out but don't dry off and just stand there you'll start to and just stand there you'll start to and just stand there you'll start to shiver pretty quickly as it starts to shiver pretty quickly as it starts to shiver pretty quickly as it starts to evaporate off you evaporate off you evaporate off you [Music]