The Science & Health Benefits of Deliberate Heat Exposure | Episode 69
Main Takeaways
The body has two temperatures: skin/shell and core, and the brain sends signals to regulate heating and cooling based on the environment.
Heat up mechanism involves skin neurons, electrical signals sent to the spinal cord, and signals sent to the preoptic area in the brain that triggers behavioral responses.
Deliberate heat exposure, such as sauna use, can reduce mortality by cardiovascular events, stroke, and all-cause mortality, and regular exposure can help the body become better adapted to sweating excess heat.
Biological changes to heat include increased blood flow, plasma, stroke volume, and heart rate, which the body perceives as similar to cardiovascular exercise.
Hormone effects of heat include a decrease in cortisol output and activation of heat shock proteins that ensure cells of the brain and body don't misfold.
Sauna exposure increased growth hormone 16-fold, but the effect decreased with increased sauna use because the body becomes heat adapted.
Deliberate heat exposure can lead to improved mood and wellbeing by activating the endorphin system and dynorphin system.
Glabrous skin surfaces, found in palms of hands, soles of feet, and upper half of the face, can be leveraged to adjust body temperature.
Cold exposure increases brown fat, while local heat exposure converts white fat to beige fat, leading to systemic increases in thermogenesis, metabolism, and fat loss.
Fever is a natural heat inoculation designed to kill pathogens in the body.
