Dr. Craig Heller: Using Temperature To Optimize Performance, Brain & Body Health | Episode 40
Main Takeaways
Our bodies have built-in mechanisms to regulate temperature and cool down when we get too hot.
The internal thermostat in our bodies collects information from the entire body to regulate temperature.
Do not use sponges or cold towels on the neck or back to cool down, as it can falsely lead you to believe you are recovered when your brain is still hot.
Cooling the head by pouring water over it can have a cooling effect on the brain.
Heating and cooling of the brain can lead to brain fog, causing reduced cognition when sufficiently heated.
Symptoms of hypothermia have a slow onset and are difficult to relate to danger, so people tend to push through them, even to the point of death.
Cold plunges can stimulate vasoconstriction and cause heat loss, which helps to cool down the body.
Cooling can decrease swelling of the brain and improve performance in tough exercises.
Shivering is an adaptation designed to heat us up and increases metabolism by about 3-4 times resting.
Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) can help increase energy consumption and heat, and tips for better sleep include having a regular bedtime and wake-up time, avoiding screens before bedtime, and cooling your sleeping environment.
