Brown fat or skeletal muscle contraction?
Dr. Sellers pointed out that, despite nonshivering thermogenesis being involved in mild cold acclimation, the data so far suggest that some level of mild muscle activity or shivering appears crucial in provoking the beneficial metabolic effects of cold acclimation.
“Brown fat is a metabolic heating system inside our bodies, burning calories”, explained Dr. Sellers. “This generates heat and prevents calories from being deposited as normal white fat. Brown fat is activated during cold and when we eat, but its activity is less in older adults and in individuals with obesity and diabetes.”
“Going forward, we might investigate the effects of shorter duration – so more intense shivering – to try and elucidate more precisely the optimum duration and intensity of shivering needed,” said Dr. Sellers.
“Our findings are promising and may have important health implications. In future studies, we plan to assess the effect of shivering in adults with type 2 diabetes,” he concluded.
Dr. Seller and Dr. Krook have reported no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.