Review
Version 1
Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed
The Effects of Intermittent Cold Exposure on Adipose Tissue
and
*
Version 1
: Received: 15 November 2023 / Approved: 16 November 2023 / Online: 16 November 2023 (13:12:10 CET)
A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.
Scott, M.C.; Fuller, S. The Effects of Intermittent Cold Exposure on Adipose Tissue. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25, 46. Scott, M.C.; Fuller, S. The Effects of Intermittent Cold Exposure on Adipose Tissue. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25, 46.
Abstract
Intermittent cold exposure has garnered increased attention in popular culture, largely for its proposed effects on mood and immune function, but there are also suggestions that the energy wasting mechanisms associated with thermogenesis may decrease body weight and fat mass. Considering the continued and worsening prevalence of obesity and type II diabetes, any protocol that can reduce body weight and/or improve metabolic health would be a substantial boon. Here, we present a narrative review exploring the research related to ICE and adipose tissue. Any publicly available original research examining the effects of repeated bouts of ICE with adipose related outcomes was included. While ICE does not consistently lower bodyweight or fat mass, there does seem to be evidence for ICE as a positive modulator of the metabolic consequences of obesity, such as glucose tolerance and insulin signaling. Further, ICE consistently increases the activity of brown adipose tissue (BAT) and transitions white adipose tissue to a phenotype more in line with BAT. Lastly, the combined effects of ICE and exercise do not seem to provide any additional benefit, at least when exercise is done during ICE bouts. The majority of the current literature on ICE is based in rodent models where animals are housed in cold rooms, which does not reflect protocols likely to be implemented in humans such as cold-water immersion. Future research could specifically characterize ICE via cold water immersion in combination with controlled calorie intake to clearly determine the effects of ICE as it would be implemented in humans looking to lower bodyweight via reductions in fat mass.
Keywords
Intermittent Cold Exposure; ICE; cold exposure; adipose tissue; brown adipose tissue; beiging
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Endocrinology and Metabolism
Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Comments (0)
We encourage comments and feedback from a broad range of readers. See criteria for comments and our Diversity statement.
Leave a public commentSend a private comment to the author(s)
* All users must log in before leaving a comment
