Essentials: Increase Strength & Endurance with Cooling Protocols | Dr. Craig Heller
Huberman Lab Podcast Recap
Published:
Duration: 36 min
Guests: Dr. Craig Heller
Summary
This episode explores how cooling protocols can enhance physical performance by managing heat stress. Dr. Craig Heller discusses the science behind cooling specific body areas to improve strength and endurance.
What Happened
Dr. Craig Heller explains the physiological mechanisms by which cold exposure, such as cold showers or ice baths, induces vasoconstriction, making it more difficult for the body to dissipate heat. The primary sites for heat loss, due to specialized blood vessels, are the palms, soles, and the upper part of the face.
Cooling before aerobic activities is highlighted as a way to increase the body's capacity to absorb excess heat, thus potentially enhancing performance. However, during anaerobic activities, muscle metabolism can increase heat production by 50-60 times, which can lead to muscle overheating as blood flow cannot keep up, risking muscle failure.
A critical enzyme for fuel supply to mitochondria becomes inactive at muscle temperatures exceeding 39-40°C, potentially causing muscle failure. Cooling the body's surface can trick the brain's thermostat, located in the preoptic anterior hypothalamus, into perceiving the body as cooler, which can impair performance if not managed correctly.
Cooling glabrous skin, such as the palms and soles, is particularly effective for heat loss due to the presence of specialized blood vessels. Gripping handlebars tightly while cycling can impede heat loss and reduce performance, whereas pouring water on the head can reverse blood flow direction in scalp vessels, aiding brain cooling.
Dr. Heller discusses the potential benefits of cooling protocols on endurance and work volume. One study showed cooling between sets allowed an athlete to triple his dip count over a month, while endurance experiments in hot conditions demonstrated cooling could double treadmill endurance.
The technology company Arturia, through its website coolmit.com, is developing devices for cooling glabrous skin to enhance athletic performance. The Coolmit device cools the hand at a temperature that avoids vasoconstriction, optimizing heat loss without hindering performance.
Dr. Heller also notes that cooling the palms, soles, and face is twice as effective as cooling other areas such as the armpits, groin, or neck for managing hyperthermia. Simple methods like using frozen blueberries or peas can be employed for cooling, but if the palms feel cold to the touch after cooling, it indicates undesirable vasoconstriction.
Key Insights
- Cold exposure through showers or ice baths leads to vasoconstriction, impeding the body's ability to lose heat. The palms, soles, and upper face are primary heat loss sites due to specialized blood vessels.
- Cooling before aerobic activities can enhance performance by increasing the body's heat absorption capacity. In contrast, during anaerobic activities, excessive heat production can lead to muscle overheating.
- A temperature-sensitive enzyme crucial for fueling mitochondria shuts off when muscle temperature exceeds 39-40°C, risking muscle failure. Cooling body surfaces can mislead the brain's thermostat, affecting performance.
- Cooling glabrous skin is effective due to specialized blood vessels, enhancing heat loss. The Coolmit device optimizes this process, avoiding vasoconstriction while promoting performance improvement.