1
|
Scott MC, Fuller S. The Effects of Intermittent Cold Exposure on Adipose Tissue. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:46. [PMID: 38203217 PMCID: PMC10778965 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Intermittent cold exposure (ICE) 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 on adipose-related outcomes was included. While ICE does not consistently lower body weight 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 exercising during ICE bouts. The majority of the current literature on ICE is based on 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 their body weight via reductions in fat mass.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C. Scott
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA;
| | - Scott Fuller
- School of Kinesiology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 70506, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Santocildes G, Viscor G, Pagès T, Ramos-Romero S, Torres JL, Torrella JR. Physiological Effects of Intermittent Passive Exposure to Hypobaric Hypoxia and Cold in Rats. Front Physiol 2021; 12:673095. [PMID: 34135770 PMCID: PMC8201611 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.673095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The benefits of intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (IHH) exposure for health and its potential use as a training tool are well-documented. However, since hypobaric hypoxia and cold are environmental factors always strongly associated in the biosphere, additive or synergistic adaptations could have evolved in animals’ genomes. For that reason, the aim of the present study was to investigate body composition and hematological and muscle morphofunctional responses to simultaneous intermittent exposure to hypoxia and cold. Adult male rats were randomly divided into four groups: (1) control, maintained in normoxia at 25°C (CTRL); (2) IHH exposed 4 h/day at 4,500 m (HYPO); (3) intermittent cold exposed 4 h/day at 4°C (COLD); and (4) simultaneously cold and hypoxia exposed (COHY). At the end of 9 and 21 days of exposure, blood was withdrawn and gastrocnemius (GAS) and tibialis anterior muscles, perigonadal and brown adipose tissue, diaphragm, and heart were excised. GAS transversal sections were stained for myofibrillar ATPase and succinate dehydrogenase for fiber typing and for endothelial ATPase to assess capillarization. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) from GAS samples were semi-quantified by Western blotting. COLD and HYPO underwent physiological adjustments such as higher brown adipose tissue weight and increase in blood-related oxygen transport parameters, while avoiding some negative effects of chronic exposure to cold and hypoxia, such as body weight and muscle mass loss. COHY presented an additive erythropoietic response and was prevented from right ventricle hypertrophy. Intermittent cold exposure induced muscle angiogenesis, and IHH seems to indicate better muscle oxygenation through fiber area reduction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Garoa Santocildes
- Secció de Fisiologia, Departament de Biologia Cel.lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ginés Viscor
- Secció de Fisiologia, Departament de Biologia Cel.lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Teresa Pagès
- Secció de Fisiologia, Departament de Biologia Cel.lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sara Ramos-Romero
- Secció de Fisiologia, Departament de Biologia Cel.lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Departament de Química Biològica, Institut de Química Avançada de Catalunya (IQAC-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Lluís Torres
- Departament de Química Biològica, Institut de Química Avançada de Catalunya (IQAC-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Ramon Torrella
- Secció de Fisiologia, Departament de Biologia Cel.lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|