Andrew Huberman · 24 min

Winter Immunity, Wim Hof Breathing, and the Stressor Paradox — Key Takeaways

A concise summary of the key insights from this episode. Watch the full video or read the complete article for the full context.

Why We Get Sick in Winter: The Real Reasons

• The common assumption is that cold temperatures cause illness — that going outside without a coat leads to a cold.
• Cold weather itself does not cause respiratory illness.
• What changes in winter is the environment in which those viruses operate and transmit.

Wim Hof Breathing: The Neuroscience

• Huberman's framing of Wim Hof breathing draws on the neural mechanisms of controlled hyperventilation and its effects on the autonomic nervous system.
• The rapid breathing phase drives carbon dioxide out of the blood, shifting pH and altering the nervous system's regulatory state.
• The breath hold that follows is not deprivation — it is a specific neural state with its own set of downstream effects.

The Stressor Paradox: When Stress Makes You Stronger

• The question underlying all of this is: how does a system get stronger? The answer, across biology, is through calibrated challenge.
• Exercise damages muscle fibers; repair produces fibers that are larger and more resistant.
• Cold stress activates heat shock proteins; the cellular machinery that responds to cold is stronger after the response.

Winter as a Protocol

• For those who practice deliberate cold exposure year-round, winter presents a different challenge than summer.
• The ambient cold is less controllable, the temptation to avoid is stronger, and the risk of inadvertent hypothermia is higher.
• Huberman's practical guidance for winter: distinguish between deliberate cold practice (controlled temperature, controlled duration, controlled environment) and ambient cold exposure (which should not be confused with the deliberate protocol).

Quick Actions

1. Maintain vitamin D supplementation through winter months (consult your physician on dose) — it is one of the most evidence-based immune interventions available.
2. Distinguish deliberate cold practice from ambient cold exposure. Maintain your cold plunge protocol in winter; do not substitute uncontrolled cold stress.
3. Practice Wim Hof breathing on an empty stomach, in a safe position, as a regular protocol — not a cure, but a reproducible tool for nervous system resilience.