The endorphin system is activated when we experience short stress.Dynorphin system: the struggle of heat exposure ultimately activates pathways that lead to an increase in the baseline level of mood and heightened level of happiness and improved mood.

Improved Mood

Cold exposure (11 minutes per week, up to the neck) has been shown to increase brown fat which increases metabolism and the ability to feel comfortable in cold temperatures.Local heat exposure (not to the point of burning) converts white fat to beige fat which leads to systemic increases in thermogenesis, metabolism, and fat loss – children have a lot of brown and beige fat.

Types Of Fat & Responses To Temperature

<ul><li>Regular use of sauna and other heat exposure can reduce mortality by cardiovascular events, stroke, and all-cause mortality.</li><li>Effects of deliberate heat mimic cardiovascular exercise.</li><li>Make sure you’re replacing the water you lose in the sauna – drink at least 16 ounces of water for every 10 minutes of sauna use.</li><li>Proper application of local heat may actually change the identity of fat cells at that location and encourage the conversion of white fat to beige fat.</li></ul>

Key Takeaways From The Podcast

<ul><li>Our body can heat up from outside in or inside out</li><li>We have two body temperatures: (1) skin/shell; (2) core (organs, viscera, spinal cord)</li><li>The brain is constantly sending signals to the body’s heating and cooling system based on the environment</li><li>If you throw a cold towel on your body, your brain will actually think you need to heat up your core</li><li>In a hot environment, the brain tries to cool down your core</li><li>The transition between hot and cold temperatures engages the process of heating and reheating</li></ul>

Heating Up Of Bodies

Hormone effects of heat: decrease in cortisol output.Activation of heat shock proteins (HSP): heat changes the way in which proteins are configured at a molecular level – HSP makes sure cells of the brain and body don’t misfoldHeat for lifespan: heat upregulates pathways related to DNA repair and clearing out of senescent cells.Heat for metabolic enhancement:  57 minutes per week (total, spread out across sessions) of heat exposure – cold exposure: 11 minutes per spread out of the uncomfortable but safe cold.Hormesis: subjecting yourself to enough stress to induce adaptation of some kind.

The Many Uses Of Body Heating

<ul><li>Growth hormone: impacts metabolism and growth of cells and tissues of the body, responsible for tissue repair and growth spurt during puberty.</li><li>Starting in the early 30s, growth hormone release is greatly diminished.</li><li>Sauna exposure increased growth hormone 16 fold – important caveat, effect on growth hormone went down with increased sauna use because body becomes heat adapted.</li><li>If growth hormone increase is your main goal for sauna use, limit to 1x/week or 1x/10 days – and enter fasted or without food in the 2-3 hours prior for maximum benefits.</li></ul>

Increase Of Growth Hormone

Glabrous skin: hair-free skin found in palms of hands, soles of feet, the upper half of the face.Glabrous skin surfaces can be leveraged to cool the blood and core of the body.To warm a cold body: use a warm blanket or warmer on glabrous surfaces.To cool a hot body: use a cool compress, frozen or cold materials on glabrous surfaces.Fever is natural heat inoculation designed to kill pathogens in the body.

Adjusting Body Heat With Glabrous Skin Surfaces

<ul><li>Regular use of sauna and other heat exposure can reduce mortality by cardiovascular events, stroke, and all-cause mortality.</li><li>You will become better adapted and better at sweating excess heat with frequent exposure.</li><li>Options if you don’t have access to a sauna: try hot water bath up to the neck – getting a similar temperature is key (176F-212F); wear a plastic suit (like fighters trying to drop weight).</li><li>Wet sauna and dry sauna are both acceptable; most infrared saunas don’t get hot enough.</li></ul>

Deliberate Heat Exposure Changes Biology

(1) Skin has neurons that sense changes in heat; (2) Electrical signals are sent to the spinal cord; (3) Signals are sent to the brain – specifically the preoptic area (POA) which send signals to the brain & body and trigger behavioral responses.The impulse to get yourself out of a hot environment is the consequence of the POA communicating with the amygdala and in turn activating adrenal glands

The Heating Up Mechanism

I describe the mechanisms by which deliberate heat exposure impacts body temperature, metabolism, heart health, hormone production, exercise recovery, cognition, mood, and longevity. I detail specific protocols for deliberate heat exposure, including exposure times, temperature ranges to consider, time of day, and delivery mechanisms (sauna vs. hot bath vs. open air heat, etc.) in order to achieve different specific outcomes, including dramatic growth hormone releases, or reduction in cortisol levels. I also discuss the ability of locally applied heat to heal or otherwise improve various bodily tissues and new data on how local application of heat may induce the conversion of metabolically sluggish white fat to metabolically robust beige fat. Thank you to our sponsors LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman InsideTracker: https://insidetracker.com/huberman ROKA - https://www.roka.com - code "huberman" See Andrew Huberman Live: The Brain Body Contract Tuesday, May 17th: Seattle, WA Wednesday, May 18th: Portland, OR https://hubermanlab.com/tour Our Patreon page https://www.patreon.com/andrewhuberman Supplements from Momentous I am pleased to announce that the Huberman Lab Podcast is now partnered with Momentous. Momentous supplements are of the very highest quality; each is third-party tested for purity and accuracy of dosage. To learn more about the Huberman Lab Podcast-Momentous partnership, the supplements I that take, and stay up-to-date with future product announcements, visit: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Timestamps (00:00:00) Heat & Health (00:03:37) Momentous Supplements (00:04:52) The Brain-Body Contract (00:05:46) LMNT, InsideTracker, ROKA (00:09:31) Body Shell Temperature vs. Body Core Temperature (00:13:28) Thermal Regulation, Hyperthermia (00:17:36) Heat Removal Circuits, Pre-Optic Hypothalamus (POA) (00:26:30) Protocols & Benefits of Deliberate Heat Exposure (00:33:37) Tools & Conditions for Deliberate Heat Exposure (00:38:47) Deliberate Heat Exposure, Cortisol & Cardiovascular Health (00:44:50) Heat Shock Proteins (HSPs), Molecular Mechanisms of Heat Regulation (00:47:56) Longevity & Heat Exposure, FOXO3 (00:52:30) Deliberate Cold & Heat Exposure & Metabolism (00:54:48) Deliberate Heat Exposure & Growth Hormone (01:04:32) Parameters for Heat & Cold Exposure (01:08:26) Circadian Rhythm & Body Temperature, Cold & Heat Exposure (01:12:00) Heat Exposure & Growth Hormone (01:16:20) Tool: Hydration & Sauna (01:17:10) Heat, Endorphins & Dynorphins, Mood (01:28:44) Tool: Glabrous Skin To Heat or Cool (01:35:33) Local Hyperthermia, Converting White Fat to Beige Fat, Metabolism (01:47:00) Hormesis/Mitohormesis & Heat/Cold Exposure (01:49:11) Benefits of Heat Exposure (01:51:10) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Momentous Supplements, Instagram, Twitter, Neural Network Newsletter Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

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I describe the mechanisms by which deliberate heat exposure impacts body temperature, metabolism, heart health, hormone production, exercise recovery, cognition, mood, and longevity. I detail specific protocols for deliberate heat exposure, including exposure times, temperature ranges to consider, time of day, and delivery mechanisms (sauna vs. hot bath vs. open air heat, etc.) in order to achieve different specific outcomes, including dramatic growth hormone releases, or reduction in cortisol levels. I also discuss the ability of locally applied heat to heal or otherwise improve various bodily tissues and new data on how local application of heat may induce the conversion of metabolically sluggish white fat to metabolically robust beige fat. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Heat & Health (00:03:37) Momentous Supplements (00:05:09) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:09:31) Body Shell Temperature vs. Body Core Temperature (00:13:28) Thermal Regulation, Hyperthermia (00:17:36) Heat Removal Circuits, Pre-Optic Hypothalamus (POA) (00:26:30) Protocols & Benefits of Deliberate Heat Exposure (00:33:37) Tools & Conditions for Deliberate Heat Exposure (00:38:47) Deliberate Heat Exposure, Cortisol & Cardiovascular Health (00:44:50) Heat Shock Proteins (HSPs), Molecular Mechanisms of Heat Regulation (00:47:56) Longevity & Heat Exposure, FOXO3 (00:52:30) Deliberate Cold & Heat Exposure & Metabolism (00:54:48) Deliberate Heat Exposure & Growth Hormone (01:04:32) Parameters for Heat & Cold Exposure (01:08:26) Circadian Rhythm & Body Temperature, Cold & Heat Exposure (01:12:00) Heat Exposure & Growth Hormone (01:16:20) Tool: Hydration & Sauna (01:17:10) Heat, Endorphins & Dynorphins, Mood (01:28:44) Tool: Glabrous Skin To Heat or Cool (01:35:33) Local Hyperthermia, Converting White Fat to Beige Fat, Metabolism (01:47:00) Hormesis/Mitohormesis & Heat/Cold Exposure (01:49:11) Benefits of Heat Exposure (01:51:10) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Momentous Supplements, Instagram, Twitter, Neural Network Newsletter Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

Huberman Lab discusses neuroscience: how our brain and its connections with the organs of our body control our perceptions, our behaviors, and our health. We also discuss existing and emerging tools for measuring and changing how our nervous system works. Dr. Andrew Huberman is a tenured professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. His laboratory studies neural regeneration, neuroplasticity, and brain states such as stress, focus, fear, and optimal performance. For more than 20 years, Dr. Huberman has consistently published original research findings and review articles in top-level peer-reviewed journals, including Nature, Science, Cell, Neuron, and Current Biology. He is a regular member of several National Institutes of Health review panels and a Fellow of the McKnight Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trusts. Dr. Huberman regularly consults for technology development companies, professional athletic organizations, and various units of U.S. and Canadian Special Operations.