Using Temperature To Optimize Performance, Brain & Body Health | Dr. Craig Heller

This episode I am joined by Dr. Craig Heller, Ph.D., Professor of Biology at Stanford University and world expert on the science of temperature regulation. We discuss how the body and brain maintain temperature under different conditions and how most everyone uses the wrong approach to cool off or heat up. Dr. Heller teaches us the best ways and in doing so, explains how to offset hyperthermia and hypothermia. He also explains how we can use the precise timing and location of cooling on our body to greatly enhance endurance and weight training performance. He describes how cooling technology discovered and engineered in his laboratory has led to a tripling of anaerobic (weight training) performance and allowed endurance athletes to run further and faster, as well as to eliminate delayed onset muscle soreness. Dr. Heller explains how heat impairs muscular and mental performance, and how to cool the brain to reduce inflammation and to enhance sleep and cognition. We discuss how anyone can apply these principles for themselves, even their dogs! Our conversation includes both many practical tools and mechanistic science. Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps 00:00:00 Introducing Dr. Craig Heller, Physiology & Performance 00:02:20 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up 00:06:45 Cold Showers, Ice Baths, Cryotherapy 00:10:45 Boundary Layers 00:11:55 Cooling Before Aerobic Activity to Enhance Performance 00:14:45 Anaerobic Activity Locally Increases Muscle Heat 00:16:45 Temperature Gates Our Energy Use 00:19:00 Local Versus Systemic Fatigue: Heat Is Why We Fail 00:22:10 Cooling Off: Most Methods are Counterproductive 00:26:43 Exercise-Induced Brain Fog 00:27:45 Hyperthermia 00:31:50 Best Body Sites for Cooling: Palms, Foot Pads, Upper Face 00:38:00 Cooling Your Brain via The Upper Face; Concussion 00:41:25 Extraordinary (Tripling!) Performance by Cooling the Palms 00:45:35 Enhancing Recovery, Eliminating Soreness w/Intra-workout Cooling 00:50:00 Multiple Sclerosis: Heat Sensitivity & Amelioration with Cooling 00:51:00 Enhancing Endurance with Proper Cooling 00:53:00 Cool Mitt, Ice-Cold Is Too Cold, 3 Minutes Cooling 00:58:20 How You Can Use Palmer Cooling to Enhance Performance 01:01:15 Radiation, Convection, Heat-Transfer, Role of Surface Area 01:04:40 Hypothermia Story, Ideal Re-Heating Strategy 01:11:40 Paw-lmer Cooling for Dog Health & Performance 01:12:45 Warming Up, & Varying Temperature Around the Body 01:17:35 Cooling-Enhanced Performance Is Permanent 01:19:55 Anabolic Steroids versus Palmer Cooling 01:24:00 Female Athletic Performance 01:25:18 Shivering & Cold, Metabolism 01:26:55 Studies of Bears & Hibernation, Brown Fat 01:31:10 Brown Fat Distribution & Activation In Humans 01:34:18 Brain Freeze, Ice Headache: Blood Pressure, Headache 01:37:50 Fidgeters, Non-Exercise Induced Thermogenesis 01:39:44 How Pre-Workout Drinks, & Caffeine May Inhibit Performance 01:43:42 Sleep, Cold, Warm Baths, Screens, & Socks 01:48:44 Synthesis 01:49:30 Supporting the Podcast & Scientific Research Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices