How to Use Cold & Heat Exposure to Improve Your Health | Dr. Susanna Søberg

About this video

Dr. Susanna Søberg, whose doctoral research at the University of Copenhagen focused on cold and heat exposure and metabolism, discusses deliberate cold and heat for human health. Huberman notes she was first author of a seminal 2021 study discovering minimum thresholds for deliberate heat and cold exposure for increasing brown fat thermogenesis and establishing actionable protocols. The conversation covers effects on hormones and on catecholamines such as dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine that impact mood and metabolism, differences between cold showers, cold immersion to the neck, and total immersion, alternating heat and cold, and how skin cold receptors differ from cold perception in the brain. In the excerpted segment, Dr. Søberg describes her own first winter swimming experience as uncomfortable and anxious in the moment but fantastic afterward, attributing the positive, energized feeling to neurotransmitters, and she explains wanting to study the lowest effective dose.

Key takeaways

• Dr. Søberg’s research established minimum thresholds for cold and heat exposure for brown fat thermogenesis, Huberman notes.
• Dr. Søberg discusses cold and heat effects on metabolism, hormones, and catecholamines.
• Dr. Søberg distinguishes cold showers, immersion to the neck, and total body immersion.
• Dr. Søberg describes feeling fantastic and energized after her first cold immersion despite discomfort during it.
• Dr. Søberg explains her study aimed to find the lowest amount of exposure needed.

Episode details: published May 15, 2023 · 754.2K views · 2:30:35 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. The science and protocols described are Andrew Huberman’s, presented for education — not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before changing your own health practices.

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