Dr. Susanna Søberg: How to Use Cold & Heat Exposure to Improve Your Health
In this episode, my guest is Susanna Søberg, PhD. She earned her doctoral degree at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, researching the effects of deliberate cold and deliberate heat exposure on metabolism and other aspects of human physiology. We discuss how cold or sauna can improve metabolism, cardiovascular and brain health, balance hormones, and decrease inflammation. Dr. Søberg discusses how deliberate cold protocols can improve glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity and trigger release of neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine which enhance energy, mood, and focus. We compare cold showers and cold immersion, traditional and infrared saunas, and other variables. This episode provides actionable tools and answers to common questions about the use of deliberate cold and heat to improve health.
Articles
Altered brown fat thermoregulation and enhanced cold-induced thermogenesis in young, healthy, winter-swimming men (Cell Reports Medicine)
Human physiological responses to immersion into water of different temperatures (European Journal of Applied Physiology)
Variations in leptin and insulin levels within one swimming season in non-obese female cold water swimmers (Scandinavian Journal of Clinical and Laboratory Investigation)
Mapping of human brown adipose tissue in lean and obese young men (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
A role for brown adipose tissue in diet-induced thermogenesis (Nature)
Association Between Sauna Bathing and Fatal Cardiovascular and All-Cause Mortality Events (JAMA Internal Medicine)
Impact of cold exposure on life satisfaction and physical composition of soldiers (BMJ Military Health)
Thermal effects of whole head submersion in cold water on nonshivering humans (Journal of Applied Physiology)
Thermoregulation during rest and exercise in the cold in pre- and early pubescent boys and in young men (Journal of Applied Physiology)
