Whole-body metabolic rate: molecular mechanisms & dependencies

How nutrients influence it

Every nutrient with a recorded effect on this component, credited to the nutrient that acted rather than the chapter that recorded it. Open a nutrient to see the findings and the conditions they were measured under.

Human evidence only

How nutrients reach it in more than one step

Chains of two or more recorded steps that end here, grouped by the nutrient they start from. Each step is a separate finding, so a chain is a route a mechanism could take, not proof that it does.

Tracing routes…

What it does

Every recorded relationship this component is part of, grouped by its role. Plain wording comes first; the technical statement follows.

Recorded relationships

What acts on it

Immersion at 14 degrees C lowered rectal temperature and increased metabolic rate by 350%, with heart rate and systolic and diastolic blood pressure rising by 5, 7 and 8%.
Cold water immersion → Whole-body metabolic rate source_derived_draftungraded
Experimental context and source evidence
evidence_span
{"source_cache": "artifacts/cold-research/10751106.abstract.txt", "locator": "Indexed abstract; zero-based, end-exclusive Unicode character offsets", "file_sha256": "d018fda7c67dc61bb0d4a38ddfd7850e7252897587c5a4477607271b10d42291", "start_char": 0, "end_char": 2332, "text_sha256": "d018fda7c67dc61bb0d4a38ddfd7850e7252897587c5a4477607271b10d42291"}
experimental_model
Young men during 1-hour head-out immersions at 32, 20 and 14 degrees C
exposure
One hour head-out immersion at three water temperatures
limitations
The thermoneutral arm separates hydrostatic pressure from cold. Cortisol did not rise at any temperature, which bears directly on calling immersion a stress response.
nutrient_topic
Cold water immersion research collection; topical membership is not evidence of a direct clinical effect, and a therapeutic exposure is not a dietary intake. · Cold water immersion
organism
Human
plain_language
At 14 degrees the body burns roughly four and a half times as much energy as at rest.
primary_references
[cold-p10751106] Human physiological responses to immersion into water of different temperatures. (2000). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10751106/ DOI: 10.1007/s004210050065
tissue_or_cell_type
Whole body
Cold water immersion: cold sensing, heat production, the catecholamine axis and what repeated exposure changes (2026-09-19) · lines 182–193
AI-assisted literature curation; primary study URLs and scope retained in the document and extraction. Not publisher full text. · supports · Young men during 1-hour head-out immersions at 32, 20 and 14 degrees C · source_derived_draft · unverified_draft
### cold-cold-metabolic-rate Immersion at 14 degrees C lowered rectal temperature and increased metabolic rate by 350%, with heart rate and systolic and diastolic blood pressure rising by 5, 7 and 8%. Condition category: normal nutrient_topic: Cold water immersion research collection; topical membership is not evidence of a direct clinical effect, and a therapeutic exposure is not a dietary intake. plain_language: At 14 degrees the body burns roughly four and a half times as much energy as at rest. organism: Human tissue_or_cell_type: Whole body experimental_model: Young men during 1-hour head-out immersions at 32, 20 and 14 degrees C limitations: The thermoneutral arm separates hydrostatic pressure from cold. Cortisol did not rise at any temperature, which bears directly on calling immersion a stress response. exposure: One hour head-out immersion at three water temperatures evidence_span: {"source_cache": "artifacts/cold-research/10751106.abstract.txt", "locator": "Indexed abstract; zero-based, end-exclusive Unicode character offsets", "file_sha256": "d018fda7c67dc61bb0d4a38ddfd7850e7252897587c5a4477607271b10d42291", "start_char": 0, "end_char": 2332, "text_sha256": "d018fda7c67dc61bb0d4a38ddfd7850e7252897587c5a4477607271b10d42291"} [cold-p10751106] Human physiological responses to immersion into water of different temperatures. (2000). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10751106/ DOI: 10.1007/s004210050065
Complete structured claim and evidence
The authors concluded that physiological changes induced by water immersion are mediated by humoral control mechanisms, while responses induced by cold are mainly due to increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system, with no correlation between changes in rectal temperature and changes in hormone production.
Sympathetic nervous system activity → Whole-body metabolic rate source_derived_draftungraded
Experimental context and source evidence
evidence_span
{"source_cache": "artifacts/cold-research/10751106.abstract.txt", "locator": "Indexed abstract; zero-based, end-exclusive Unicode character offsets", "file_sha256": "d018fda7c67dc61bb0d4a38ddfd7850e7252897587c5a4477607271b10d42291", "start_char": 0, "end_char": 2332, "text_sha256": "d018fda7c67dc61bb0d4a38ddfd7850e7252897587c5a4477607271b10d42291"}
experimental_model
Young men during 1-hour head-out immersions at 32, 20 and 14 degrees C
exposure
One hour head-out immersion at three water temperatures
limitations
The thermoneutral arm separates hydrostatic pressure from cold. Cortisol did not rise at any temperature, which bears directly on calling immersion a stress response.
nutrient_topic
Cold water immersion research collection; topical membership is not evidence of a direct clinical effect, and a therapeutic exposure is not a dietary intake. · Cold water immersion
organism
Human
plain_language
The water effects and the cold effects travel by two different routes.
primary_references
[cold-p10751106] Human physiological responses to immersion into water of different temperatures. (2000). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10751106/ DOI: 10.1007/s004210050065
tissue_or_cell_type
Whole body
Cold water immersion: cold sensing, heat production, the catecholamine axis and what repeated exposure changes (2026-09-19) · lines 208–219
AI-assisted literature curation; primary study URLs and scope retained in the document and extraction. Not publisher full text. · supports · Young men during 1-hour head-out immersions at 32, 20 and 14 degrees C · source_derived_draft · unverified_draft
### cold-cold-sympathetic-attribution The authors concluded that physiological changes induced by water immersion are mediated by humoral control mechanisms, while responses induced by cold are mainly due to increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system, with no correlation between changes in rectal temperature and changes in hormone production. Condition category: normal nutrient_topic: Cold water immersion research collection; topical membership is not evidence of a direct clinical effect, and a therapeutic exposure is not a dietary intake. plain_language: The water effects and the cold effects travel by two different routes. organism: Human tissue_or_cell_type: Whole body experimental_model: Young men during 1-hour head-out immersions at 32, 20 and 14 degrees C limitations: The thermoneutral arm separates hydrostatic pressure from cold. Cortisol did not rise at any temperature, which bears directly on calling immersion a stress response. exposure: One hour head-out immersion at three water temperatures evidence_span: {"source_cache": "artifacts/cold-research/10751106.abstract.txt", "locator": "Indexed abstract; zero-based, end-exclusive Unicode character offsets", "file_sha256": "d018fda7c67dc61bb0d4a38ddfd7850e7252897587c5a4477607271b10d42291", "start_char": 0, "end_char": 2332, "text_sha256": "d018fda7c67dc61bb0d4a38ddfd7850e7252897587c5a4477607271b10d42291"} [cold-p10751106] Human physiological responses to immersion into water of different temperatures. (2000). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10751106/ DOI: 10.1007/s004210050065
Complete structured claim and evidence

Where it participates (unsigned role)

Cold-activated brown adipose tissue activity was significantly lower in overweight or obese subjects than in lean subjects, with body-mass index and percentage body fat both negatively correlated and resting metabolic rate positively correlated.
Brown adipose tissue glucose uptake → Body fat mass source_derived_draftungraded
Experimental context and source evidence
evidence_span
{"source_cache": "artifacts/cold-research/19357405.abstract.txt", "locator": "Indexed abstract; zero-based, end-exclusive Unicode character offsets", "file_sha256": "fc69ba9ec6aa4e295cde530497a3ef435ad5fa436888932b81565c05eb4ecf67", "start_char": 0, "end_char": 2035, "text_sha256": "fc69ba9ec6aa4e295cde530497a3ef435ad5fa436888932b81565c05eb4ecf67"}
experimental_model
Twenty-four lean and overweight healthy men studied by integrated FDG PET and CT
exposure
Thermoneutral 22 degrees C versus mild cold exposure at 16 degrees C
limitations
A systematic human survey establishing that the tissue is present and cold-activated. Glucose uptake on PET is an activity surrogate, not a heat measurement.
nutrient_topic
Cold water immersion research collection; topical membership is not evidence of a direct clinical effect, and a therapeutic exposure is not a dietary intake. · Cold water immersion
organism
Human
plain_language
The people with more fat had less of the tissue that burns it.
primary_references
[cold-p19357405] Cold-activated brown adipose tissue in healthy men. (2009). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19357405/ DOI: 10.1056/nejmoa0808718
tissue_or_cell_type
Supraclavicular and paravertebral brown adipose tissue
Cold water immersion: cold sensing, heat production, the catecholamine axis and what repeated exposure changes (2026-09-19) · lines 260–271
AI-assisted literature curation; primary study URLs and scope retained in the document and extraction. Not publisher full text. · supports · Twenty-four lean and overweight healthy men studied by integrated FDG PET and CT · source_derived_draft · unverified_draft
### cold-bat-inverse-adiposity Cold-activated brown adipose tissue activity was significantly lower in overweight or obese subjects than in lean subjects, with body-mass index and percentage body fat both negatively correlated and resting metabolic rate positively correlated. Condition category: normal nutrient_topic: Cold water immersion research collection; topical membership is not evidence of a direct clinical effect, and a therapeutic exposure is not a dietary intake. plain_language: The people with more fat had less of the tissue that burns it. organism: Human tissue_or_cell_type: Supraclavicular and paravertebral brown adipose tissue experimental_model: Twenty-four lean and overweight healthy men studied by integrated FDG PET and CT limitations: A systematic human survey establishing that the tissue is present and cold-activated. Glucose uptake on PET is an activity surrogate, not a heat measurement. exposure: Thermoneutral 22 degrees C versus mild cold exposure at 16 degrees C evidence_span: {"source_cache": "artifacts/cold-research/19357405.abstract.txt", "locator": "Indexed abstract; zero-based, end-exclusive Unicode character offsets", "file_sha256": "fc69ba9ec6aa4e295cde530497a3ef435ad5fa436888932b81565c05eb4ecf67", "start_char": 0, "end_char": 2035, "text_sha256": "fc69ba9ec6aa4e295cde530497a3ef435ad5fa436888932b81565c05eb4ecf67"} [cold-p19357405] Cold-activated brown adipose tissue in healthy men. (2009). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19357405/ DOI: 10.1056/nejmoa0808718
Complete structured claim and evidence

The events it takes part in

A mechanism often involves more than two components. These are the full events, with every participant and its role.

Situations it appears in

Low-supply and faulty-machinery situations recorded in the chapters where this component plays a part.

In the sources

Preserved passages that mention this component, quoted exactly. Open one to read it in context.

Open hypotheses

Proposed ideas that involve this component. They are labeled as hypotheses and do not change any recorded statement.

This is a research prototype built from draft material. It is not medical advice, and its statements still await verification against the original studies.

Whole-body metabolic rate