When Dr. Andrew Huberman and Joe Rogan link up for a podcast, we always leave with new insight into whatever subjects cross their desk. In a recent podcast aired on August 27, 2024, Huberman and Rogan discussed the impact of heat and cold exposure for performance benefits.
When it comes to fitness, athletes and enthusiasts are looking for any edge they can get. We’ve seen it all. From buying breast milk off the black market to chewing on ginger root right before a workout, optimizing performance remains a top priority for just about anyone, anywhere, at any given time.
Two methods that have attracted mass attention lately are heat and cold exposure. In addition to benefiting mental health, heat and cold therapy can help with muscle relaxation, flexibility, enhanced immune function, inflammation, and cardiovascular health. That’s just the tip of the iceberg too as those in the fitness community continue to better understand how these types of exposure can boost well-being.
Dr. Andrew Huberman and Joe Rogan Break Down Performance Benefits of Hot vs Cold Exposure
According to Dr. Andrew Huberman, a revered neuroscientist and Stanford University professor, taking a hot shower or going in the sauna before bed could help you fall asleep. Although some might assume heating the body’s core temperature would hinder those attempting to fall asleep, it actually helps the ‘brain’s thermostat,’ enabling the body to cool itself for rest.
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“Do the opposite to fall asleep where you wash your face with warm water, take a hot shower, or go in the sauna. Everyone says well you’re heating up your body, you need to cool down to fall asleep.
But you heat up the surface of your body and the medial preoptic area of your hypothalamus which is your brain’s thermostat says hey, the surface of the body is heating up, what should I do? Cool down my core temperature and that puts you to sleep.”
The same goes for waking up, meaning cold exposure is the way to go for becoming more alert for the day.
“I do that [sauna, cold plunge, and then sleep] if I’m late in the day and I’m tired it’s not a problem but I end with kind of a warm-ish shower. If I want to be alert, I end on cold. If I want to go to sleep, I end on warm,” says Huberman.
One performance benefit of cold water exposure Dr. Andrew Huberman got behind was the adrenaline shot someone feels from the cold.
“When you get into the cold, the surface of the body gets cold that’s kind of a no-brainer and the core body temperature goes up because the medial preoptic area, the brain’s thermostat says wait the surface of the body is cooling down so I’m going to heat up.
Waking up in the morning is largely the consequence of body temperature going up. Why do you wake up more quickly in the cold? Well, body temperature goes up more quickly. Also a big shot of adrenaline from cold water. Nobody escapes the adrenaline from cold water. At least upon getting in as long as it’s cold enough,” he shared.
There’s no denying that cold and hot therapy can offer a wide range of benefits to its users. For Andrew Huberman and Joe Rogan, exposing the body to heat before sleep is advised whereas cold exposure offers more benefits when you’re attempting to wake up for the day.
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