Body temperature can reveal a great deal about our health and can also be manipulated for our health benefits. Because we are mammals, we use thermoregulation to keep our body within a tight temperature range. This is essential for health, as it allows our organs and our body’s processes to operate efficiently. When our bodies veer too far in either direction from our homeostasis temperature of 98.6, it causes hormonal reactions to regulate our systems. The hypothalamus in the brain regulates the body’s internal functions and always seeks balance. It regulates temperature, appetite, and weight. All of these factors are directly related to your body’s temperature.
One great indicator of metabolic health is your body temperature. When people lose weight, their body temperature drops as their metabolism slows down. This is why some people feel cold when they’re dieting, especially if they’re doing a low carbohydrate ketogenic type diet. When your body is forced to burn stored body fat for fuel, it lowers your temperature.
Another critical system in your body that is affected by temperature is your circadian rhythm.
Circadian rhythm is the daily cycle of hormones that synchronizes your body’s internal clock to the time of day. Your circadian rhythm is the reason you get tired at night and wake up in the morning. Your temperature varies as part of the circadian cycle. During the early morning hours your body is at its coldest temperature. This usually happens a few hours after your sleep hormone melatonin is released. You are at your maximum temperature later in the day (this is when we recommend strength training for our clients).
This explains why “morning people” have an earlier temperature peak, which corresponds to the time of day when they feel most awake, while “evening people” have a later peak. Typically, morning people are shifted an hour earlier in their stress hormone cortisol release.
This can be manipulated to achieve the affect you desire. We often recommend to clients that they use a sauna, hot tub, or hot shower right before bedtime. This causes blood flow to pool away from the torso to the extremities, which lets heat escape, and cools down the body. This causes the torso (where your vital organs reside) to be colder, hence influencing the body to fall into deep sleep faster.
The reverse is also true. There has been frequent news in the past few years about the benefits of cold water exposure/immersion and its long-term health benefits. If you start your day with exposure to cold water, it stimulates your hormones to release epinephrine (aka adrenaline) and norepinephrine. This hormone is the “fight or flight” hormone and immediately alters your physical and mental state to be alert. This sudden rush of alerting hormones provides energy and focus. Most studies have been conducted where the individual is immersed to the neck, but cold showers can work as well. This cold immersion and stress also causes the release of dopamine. Dopamine is a powerful molecule capable of elevating mood and used as a free natural antidepressant. In the short term, cold exposure increases metabolism, as the body has to burn calories to increase core temperature.
Our body’s temperature is critical to our health. There are several beneficial ways to manipulate your environment for your health benefits. If you have any questions or safe protocols on cold water immersion, please contact us for assistance. We want you to thrive and live well.
