Chill Down to Burn More Calories

Our homes, offices, and public spaces are cooled and heated primarily to achieve comfort, but doing so may minimize the body’s innate ability to modulate its own temperature – potentially increasing a person’s risk of obesity.  Wouter van Marken Lichtenbelt, from Maastricht University Medical Center (The Netherlands), and colleagues observe that frequent exposure to mild cold can effect energy expenditure over time, and nonshivering thermogenesis -- or a cold-induced increase in heat production -- may activate calorie-burning brown fat.  In addition, regular exposure to mild cold, referred to "temperature training," keeps the peripheral vascular system in motion, helping to strengthen the cardiovascular system. The study authors suggest that gradual temperature variations of about 2°C per hour over a range of 17-25°C (62-77°F) can encourage nonshiverving thermogenesis and boost calories burned without making the environment uncomfortable.