Dr. Duncan French: How to Exercise for Strength Gains & Hormone Optimization | Huberman Lab #45

Cold Exposure

Cold exposure, such as ice baths and cold showers, triggers a physiological stress response similar to exercise or facing danger. Duncan French explains that this stress response involves epinephrine release, which can be beneficial for mindset management and recovery, but timing is crucial 1. Using cold exposure during high training loads might hinder muscle growth by dulling hypertrophic signaling pathways 2. However, during competition phases, it can enhance recovery and performance by reducing inflammation 3.

Your body does not know the difference. It has a primordial kind of physiological response that it's created over millions and millions of years.

--- Duncan French

Strategically incorporating cold exposure can optimize training outcomes, particularly when focusing on technical execution and skill development 3.

   

Heat Acclimation

Heat acclimation, like cold exposure, is a stressor that can enhance performance through adaptation. Andrew Huberman and Duncan French discuss how heat exposure, such as sauna use, can increase growth hormone release and improve thermoregulation 4. This process involves gradually increasing exposure time to build tolerance and efficiency in sweating, which is crucial for athletes needing to manage weight and hydration 5.

Heat shock proteins, for example, are driven by that stressful exposure to a changing environment.

--- Duncan French

Adapting to heat requires a long-term strategy, beginning weeks before competition, to ensure optimal performance and recovery 5.