Does lowering body temperature increase metabolism?

There has been a lot of discord between medical experts about whether or not lowering body temperatures increase metabolism in the past. However, it’s clear that studies have established the truth behind how this mechanism works, and there’s overwhelming evidence backing the actual truth.

Does lowering body temperature increase metabolism? A recent studies have found, lower body temperature does not increase body metabolism. Instead, your metabolism reduces as your body temperature lowers to conserve energy. That helps the body maintain essential bodily functions at a standard range. However, a lower inner core temperature might slightly increase your metabolism.

This article discusses the possibility of improved metabolism with lowered body temperature and whether or not the claim is valid.

Body Temperature and Metabolism: Understanding the Relationship

Metabolism and body temperature are closely related, and understanding their relationship should help determine the possibility of one affecting the other.

Body temperature is the measure of heat the body produces, while metabolism refers to the chemical reactions occurring within the body to maintain life. It’s these chemical reactions that produce body heat, impacting temperatures.

One study on the possibility of obese individuals having low body temperatures affirmed the truth behind the claim. The study concluded that the elevation in temperature speeds up metabolism, and the opposite is true.

The research found that each degree celsius rise in temperature led to a 10 to 13% increase in oxygen consummation, meaning that the body takes more of it to facilitate higher metabolism.

You should, however, note the variation between external and internal body temperatures, both of which impact metabolism differently. The lack of understanding and confusion between the two has been the reason for debates on how they impact weight among people for a long time.

Can Lower Inner Temperature Increase Body Metabolism?

Inner core temperature is the heat within the body’s internal organs. This heat needs to be within the optimal range for proper organ functioning, ranging between 36.5⁰ and 37⁰ C.

A lower inner core temperature can increase your metabolism in a body to maintain optimal heat for standard organ operation. A higher inner temperature might do otherwise, slowing your metabolism.

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There’s overwhelming evidence backing this claim as well. Studies have shown that exposure to cold temperatures can increase your brown adipose tissue (BAT) and energy expenditure, increasing metabolic rate. This mechanism can lead to significant weight loss, an idea most weight loss supplements have leveraged.

Can Lowering Body Temperature Have Any Effects on Metabolism?

Lowering the body temperature impacts your metabolism quite significantly. When the body temperature drops below the standard range (such as hypothermia), its activities drastically reduce.

That’s necessary to conserve energy and maintain essential bodily functions. In the aftermath, you’re more likely to observe a dip in heart and breathing rates and your blood pressure may plummet.

A decrease in your body functions leads to reduced metabolic rates. That’s only possible if your external body temperature is below the standard range. However, increasing these temperatures can significantly improve your metabolism, evident in hotter ambiances or after vigorous activity.

Is It Safe to Lower Body Temperature as a Way to Increase Metabolism?

Some clinical medical treatments and therapies leverage the advantage of frequent exposure to cold temperatures to increase metabolism. That includes cryotherapy, a generally safe medical procedure.

Even though exposing the body to lower temperatures doesn’t increase your metabolism, this therapy does. However, you won’t expose yourself to cold temperatures for extended periods when on this treatment, which is safe. Also read , Do Cold Temperature Help You Lose Weight?

The effects of this treatment can be marginal, although people use it as a go-to procedure to lose weight. Staying consistent and observing the rules conforming to the treatment can help you get the best metabolism improvement results, steadily and incrementally. Improved metabolism can be associated with weight loss, which you can achieve.

Does Hypothermia Have any Long-Term Effects?

Hypothermia, as mentioned earlier, is a condition where your body temperature drops below the standard range. Lowering your body temperature below the healthy range can lead to hypothermia, which is often severe.

In the short term, your metabolism might go well below healthy levels due to minimized and possibly compromised metabolic activities. In the long term, however, the impact can be far more severe. Also read: Does Temperature Affect Weight Gain?

When exposed to prolonged cold temperatures, your body’s insulin sensitivity might decrease. Moreover, that can increase your insulin resistance, and your body may hardly metabolize glucose in the blood, leading to type 2 diabetes.

Hypothermia can also damage your tissues and vital organs, including the kidneys, heart and brain. It’s, therefore, ideal not to attempt lowering your body temperature to improve your metabolism for extended periods. That should help you avoid possible health complications.

Can Exposure to Cold Temperatures Impact Weight Loss?

Exposure to cold temperatures can impact weight loss. However, you should note that getting yourself in a colder ambiance can be dangerous to your health unless you undergo medical procedures like cryotherapy.

This treatment lowers your inner body temperature by externally exposing you to short cold spells. Its impact on your metabolism can be substantial, facilitating weight loss.

This limited exposure to cold temperatures lowers your inner body temperature, activating your BAT[1]. These fat cells increase energy expenditure and metabolic rates, and you can lose quite a fair amount of body fat.

Besides, safe exposure to cold temperatures will help facilitate glucose metabolism and your body’s sensitivity to insulin, which all add more to the cause.

What Are the Telltale Signs of a Slow Metabolism?

It’s evident that lowering the body temperature proportionally reduces your metabolism. Low metabolism isn’t healthy and can cause many health issues that manifest in physical incapacities. You should check out these signs if your body’s metabolism is below the standard range.

• Weight Gain and Difficulty Losing Weight – Calorie conversion can be low if your metabolism is slow. That makes it challenging to burn sufficient calories; your body might store it as fat. That leads to weight gain despite doing more exercising and dieting. A slow metabolism prompts the body to preserve more calories for energy, causing weight gain and zero practical weight loss results.

• General Weakness – Slow metabolism generally impacts your immune system due to insufficient nutrient supply to build up the body’s defenses. You might notice that your propensity to get sick is high, and you feel constantly weak. That should indicate an issue with your metabolism, and you might want to improve it.

• Mood Swings – Not everyone might experience this symptom, but it can indicate that your metabolism rate is below standard. The cumulative effect is that mood swings and low quality of life can trigger unhealthy lifestyles, further exacerbating slowed metabolism.

Since lowering your body temperature won’t improve your metabolism, it helps to leverage other tips to boost your metabolism. Drinking lots of water and getting sufficient sleep should help you improve your metabolism. Besides, living a stress-free life and avoiding late-night snacks can be handy.

You might also want to increase your activity to counter slowed metabolism. That means you should exercise more, increase muscle mass, and improve your glucose metabolism for more body activity. Portion meals also balance your digestion and absorption; you should, therefore, only take as much as you can. Also read: Do Cold shower Help You Lose Weight?

Conclusion

Lowering the body temperature doesn’t increase your body metabolism. However, it would help if you didn’t confuse external and internal body temperatures since they have varied impacts. A lower inner core body temperature, instead, increases your metabolism and doesn’t lower it, contrary to popular belief. Nonetheless, there’s a high chance that you can slightly increase your metabolism through short spells of exposure to cold temperatures with cryotherapy treatment.

Medical Discalimer: The information provided here On Geeks Health website is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you have or suspect a medical problem, promptly contact your healthcare provider. Reliance on any information in this response is solely at your own risk.