Supercharge Exercise Performance & Recover with Cooling | Huberman Lab Podcast #19

Summary

• Cooling has been shown to be effective in improving exercise performance
• Cooling can be done through various methods such as cooling vests, ice baths, and cooling sprays
• Cooling can also aid in recovery after exercise, reducing inflammation and muscle damage
• Sponsors of the podcast include InsideTracker, a personalized nutrition platform that analyzes data from blood and DNA to help understand and improve overall health, and Helix Sleep, a company that makes mattresses and pillows customized to individual sleep needs
• A study showed that cooling can also improve cognitive function in individuals with multiple sclerosis
• Cooling can have a positive effect on the immune system and help prevent or reduce the severity of certain illnesses
• Cooling can also have a positive effect on the skin, reducing inflammation and improving collagen production
• Temperature is a powerful tool for improving physical performance and skill learning.
• Steps for optimizing learning: be calm and focused during learning, spike adrenaline after learning, take a 20 minute shallow nap or use NSDR protocol, optimize sleep that night and the following night.
• Factors that can impact physical performance include: getting a good night's sleep, proper hydration, proper nutrition, supplements, drugs, breathing techniques, mindset, visualization, machines and devices.
• Temperature, particularly cold, is the most powerful variable for improving physical performance and recovery.
• Cold can be used to buffer heat and increase growth hormone, which is involved in tissue repair and muscle growth.
• Cold water immersion can be used to improve recovery after exercise.
• Heat can be used to increase blood flow and flexibility, and to improve sleep.
• Hyperthermia is when the body becomes too hot and can lead to cell death
• Enzymes in cells can be damaged by heat
• Body has mechanisms to regulate temperature, such as sweating and vasodilation/vasoconstriction
• Hyperthermia and hypothermia can both be dangerous
• Sweating and piloerection (goosebumps) are ways the body cools down
• Shivering is a way the body warms up
• Body's temperature can be influenced by external factors such as weather and exercise
• Muscle contractions become impaired when the body or local muscles get too hot
• Proper cooling can greatly improve physical performance, potentially doubling, tripling, or even quadrupling output
• Overheating can lead to confusion and death
• A cooling system using water and ice can be effective at regulating body temperature
• The body's cooling system can be trained and improved through repeated exposure to heat
• Heat stroke and heat exhaustion are dangerous conditions that can result from overheating
• Symptoms of heat stroke include a high body temperature, rapid pulse, and confusion
• Symptoms of heat exhaustion include heavy sweating, pale skin, and muscle cramps
• It is important to properly hydrate and acclimatize to hot environments to prevent overheating.
• The three parts of the body that are good at passing heat out of the body and bringing cool in are the face, palms of the hands, and bottoms of the feet.
• The skin in these areas is called glabrous skin.
• These areas have special vasculature called arterio-venous anastomoses (AVAs) which allow them to heat or cool more readily.
• AVAs are direct connections between small arteries and veins that bypass capillaries.
• AVAs get input from neurons that release norepinephrine and epinephrine, allowing them to contract or dilate.
• AVAs allow blood to flow directly from the arteries to the veins, allowing for rapid heat exchange.
• AVAs are more prevalent in glabrous skin and are activated in response to heat or cold.
• A study was conducted in which subjects were able to do a fixed number of pull-ups in a set amount of time
• When the subjects used a device to hold a cold tube in their palms and cool their core, they were able to do significantly more pull-ups in the same amount of time
• The effect was observed to be even more pronounced when the subjects used the cold tube repeatedly over several weeks, allowing them to do up to 600 pull-ups in the same amount of time
• The subjects were also able to recover from the increased exercise, even if they did not use the cold tube in subsequent sessions
• The study also found that the cooling technique was more effective than anabolic steroids in increasing exercise output
• The study suggests that cooling the core through the palms may be an effective way to improve athletic performance and endurance.
• To improve athletic performance, it is best to cool the hands, feet, and face
• The face is particularly important to cool because it helps regulate body temperature
• It is possible to use a frozen drink can or ice packs on the face to cool down, but care should be taken not to constrict veins or keep the ice pack on for too long
• Cooling the core of the body is not as effective as cooling the palms, feet, and face
• Cooling the hands and feet can lead to an increase in endurance, strength, and explosive power
• Devices are being developed to more effectively cool these areas of the body
• Cold water immersion (ice baths or cold showers) after exercise can block pathways involved in muscle growth and adaptation
• Cooling the body to resting temperature after exercise can improve recovery, but it is best to do so through the palms, bottoms of the feet, or face rather than full immersion in cold water
• Alcohol consumption can increase body temperature, as can caffeine and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Wearing too much clothing during exercise can increase body temperature and decrease performance
• Hot weather and high humidity can increase body temperature and decrease performance, but acclimatization to the heat can improve performance
• Heat stroke is a serious condition that occurs when the body's temperature regulation system is overwhelmed and body temperature becomes dangerously high
• Cold water immersion can be useful for increasing brown fat thermogenesis and mental resilience, but should be used carefully
• A text called "Thermoregulation in Human Performance, Physiological and Biological Aspects" by Effie Marino is a useful resource on the topic of body temperature regulation and its effects on exercise and recovery.
• Caffeine can constrict blood vessels and increase body heat retention in people who are not caffeine adapted, and is therefore a bad idea before exercise
• Caffeine can cause vasodilation and allow for the dumping of body heat in people who are caffeine adapted
• Caffeine should be consumed before exercise by caffeine-adapted individuals, and not after exercise, for optimal thermal regulation
• People who do not regularly consume caffeine should avoid it before exercise because it will increase core body temperature and constrict blood vessels
• It takes about three weeks to become accustomed to not consuming caffeine, and can cause headaches due to effects on vasodilation and constriction
• Moderate caffeine consumption is generally recommended, and it should be consumed before exercise rather than after
• Nitrates, found in beets and other foods, can improve performance by increasing blood flow and oxygen utilization, and can also improve body composition
• Nitrate supplementation is generally safe, but more research is needed on long-term effects
• Creatine can increase muscle mass and improve performance in high-intensity exercise, but may not be effective for everyone
• Creatine supplementation is generally safe, but may cause gastrointestinal discomfort and weight gain
• Beta-alanine can improve performance in high-intensity exercise, but may cause tingling sensations
• Beta-alanine supplementation is generally safe, but may cause gastrointestinal discomfort
• Caffeine, nitrates, creatine, and beta-alanine may be effective for improving performance and body composition, but more research is needed on their long-term effects and optimal dosages.