Frost help: how does cold help you lose weight?

Frost to the rescue: how does cold help to lose weight?

Trying to warm up, the body burns not the same fat that during training, but a completely different one – brown fat.

There are two types of fat in the body: white and brown. The first performs an energy function, and the second is responsible for thermoregulation. It is used only when a person is cold. Former NASA scientist Ray Kronis claims that being in the cold, when brown fat is actively “drowned”, helped him lose weight. Let’s see, does cold really affect weight loss?

What is brown fat?

As already mentioned, brown fat is needed by the body to warm itself. It is located in the area of the chest and collarbones. Each person has an individual supply of brown fat. When it runs out, white fat comes into play. It too begins to “sink”, trying to ensure normal thermoregulation.

What is Ray Kronis’ theory?

In his speech for TedMed, Ray said that the idea for this way of losing weight came to him after studying the training of American swimmer Michael Phelps. The athlete said he consumes about 12,000 kcal a day. Then Kronis wondered why Phelps was not gaining weight. After all, to burn the calories received is not enough and grueling training, and very active metabolism. But then the scientist suggested that the matter is the connection between cold water, in which the athlete spends a lot of time, and the burning of brown and then white fat.

Kronis began experimenting on his own body – by then he was overweight. A few weeks later, during which he took cold showers, wore light clothing and stayed out in the cold, he had lost 12 pounds. “We need proper nutrition anyway, sports to keep our muscles toned. But let’s not forget about thermal load, it is also important for the body”, – draws attention to Rey.

Is it really possible to lose weight from the cold?

“In an adult, the percentage of brown fat in the body is vanishingly small,” says professional trainer and nutriciologist Andrei Semeshov. – But in general, training, even just being in the cold, the body spends more energy, because it needs to maintain an optimal body temperature. That’s why fatty food is so popular in the north, which gives a large reserve of energy”.

If you want to diversify your workout routine, you can try exercising outside in the cold. Your body will indeed burn more calories, but don’t expect amazing results.