What are the benefits of cold exposure?

Deliberate cold exposure has a myriad of benefits when properly utilized. Here are some key benefits mentioned by Andrew Huberman:

1. Increases in Metabolism and Brown Fat Stores: Cold exposure can boost our metabolism and brown fat, which works like a furnace to heat the body in cold environments 1.

2. Reduction of Inflammation: Regular cold exposure is found to reduce inflammation and increase resilience 1.

3. Boost in Dopamine Levels: A substantial and long-lasting increase in dopamine levels can lead to improvements in mood and focus for several hours after the exposure 2.

4. Stress Inoculation and Mental Toughness: It is used in military training to build resilience, as cold is a manageable stressor that can build mental toughness without causing harm 3.

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5. Conversion of White Fat to Brown Fat: Deliberate cold exposure can convert the energy-storing white fat cells to thermogenic brown fat cells, which help increase core body temperature and metabolism 3.

6. Regulation of Hormone Levels: It can assist with fertility by regulating cortisol and hormone production in both men and women 4.

7. Mental Acuity and Alertness: Cold exposure is potent in elevating mental acuity and alertness through increased catecholamines without significant increase in cortisol, resulting in positive stress (eustress) 5.

For details on implementing cold exposure safely and correctly, as well as understanding its full breadth of effects, Dr. Huberman points to specific podcast episodes where these topics are discussed in depth 6.