Issue #133: Top Trick to Cool Down
Good morning. It's Wednesday, February 22nd. It's George Washington's birthday - and Drew Barrymore's, who turns 47 today. Remember first seeing her as a 7 yr-old in ET? Yep, that was 40 years ago.
“Are you a thermometer or a thermostat? A thermometer only reflects the temperature of its environment, adjusting to the situation. But a thermostat initiates action to change the temperature in its environment. ”
From the Lab: Our 2 Body Temps
Take Action: Palmar Cooling
Speed Read: Small Pharma (*not EvilCorp)
Wednesday Weights: Lift, Squat, Curl & Row
What We're Watching: Resurface
NO SPOILER. This is the magnitude impact of cooling body temperature from heat-induced stress by using the hack below in comparison to natural temperature regulation. (Study)
From the Lab
Temperature is about much more than getting in the sauna (Issue #131) or jumping in freezing cold water (Issue #132).
We actually have two body temps: 1) our core - organs, spinal cord; and 2) our skin.
Our brain is the thermostat trying to keep these relatively balanced.
You’ll notice these can get out of whack - e.g., when you have a fever. Your temp reads 101, yet you shiver under three blankets. In this situation, the brain prioritizes warming up the body to fight off the infection (it’s not the virus, it’s your brain giving you a fever - see Issue #80).
So much of what we do or what we think when the temperature changes are subconscious.
We don’t think “I need to sweat” or “I should shiver” - these responses are the results of nerve cells on the skin telling the preoptic area (POA) of our brain that we might be in danger and need to do something so our core doesn’t get too hot or too cold.
Our body really only performs well when the temp is within a certain range. For example, our muscles literally cannot contract when we are too cold or too hot. That’s why you see athletes forced to quit in either of these conditions - I’m sure we can all think of times it was simply too hot to keep running or too cold to use our hands.
This brings us to one of the coolest (literally) hacks we’ve found:
Say you’re getting close to the finish line of your first triathlon (ahem - St. Anthony’s on April 30th) - just 1 mile to go on the run. You see the water station and they have cold towels for you. You take the towel and rub it over your neck, shoulders, chest & back. Feels good in the moment, but then you immediately feel warmer - why?
This is like putting a fan right in front of your Nest thermostat. It now thinks the room is only 68 degrees so it won’t trigger the HVAC to kick on. But really the rest of the room is an uncomfortable 75. You’ve tricked the technology to not get an accurate reading.
Putting a towel on your skin is the same thing! Now those neurons go back to your POA and say “everything’s ok here” and your brain doesn’t go into the full-court press of cooling you down.
You’re probably thinking - wait, but what am I supposed to do in order to cool down??
Here’s the hack - Palmar Cooling.
There are three spots on our body with glabrous skin - our palms, bottom of feet, and our forehead/ears. Because these spots don’t have capillaries (just veins/arteries) our body releases heat in these areas much faster than anywhere else.
So if you put that cold towel on just these areas (feet might be hard during the race), then you’ll cool down your core without the rest of your skin telling your body everything’s ok.
I’m not saying it’s the world’s best performance-enhancing hack, but…
You can buy devices now just for this purpose or you can use anything like a ice cold towel or bag of frozen fruit/veggies and just hold it for a few seconds.
This also works to warm you up and why you should cover your ears and try those hand warmers when you’re outside in sub-zero temps (like my brother-in-law who will run even when Minnesota is breaking record cold temps).
My Brother-in-Law (JB)
Take Action
Listen to your body - read the signals for when your brain is saying you’re too hot or too cold
Use your glabrous skin to warm up or cool down more quickly
A Google search will easily find a ton of products - anything will work (ice cold towel, frozen berries) just make sure it’s not so cold that it constricts your blood vessels.
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Speed Read
Health & Longevity in the News
DMT for Therapy: Small Pharma, really that’s the name - at least it’s not EvilCorp, released data for its DMT-assisted therapy for major depressive disorder. In Phase 2a trial, one dose with supportive therapy “has marked antidepressant effects.” (Big Think)
Oh Sh*t: Swearing can actually be good for your health. While we wouldn’t suggest dropping the f-bomb left and right, maybe we don’t have to “watch our mouths” as much as we thought. Studies found that swearing has the potential to help us create more profound bonds with one another, improve our memory patterns, and even increase our pain tolerance. (Learn more)
Health Risks from Train Derailment in Ohio: What's the real story of the health effects for the residents in East Palestine and the surrounding area? While the EPA claims air and water tests show everything is "safe," the state set up a health clinic and many experts fear that vinyl chloride (carcinogen known to cause liver disease) and other chemicals might have long-term effects on the health of local residents. (Scientific American)
Wednesday Weights
Nearly an entire body workout with just 3 movements today. Send us a pic of your best buddha impression with that squat hold bicep curl!
Click HERE to view the workout on our YouTube channel.
Workout and video courtesy of Connor J. Obrochta. Check out all of Connor's workouts on Playbook!
What We’re Watching
Resurface
As a follow-up to our profile on Kelly Slater (Issue #130), we highly recommend Resurface, a 30-min documentary short on Netflix.
From complete despair, a suicidal war veteran finds like-minded souls in a surf therapy program that helps traumatized soldiers heal while riding the waves. We are all one.
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25 Labs LLC does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.