Biohacking Cold Resistance
Nine Nootropics for Cold Resistance and Endurance that would impress even Sir Ernest Shackleton!
The weather outside may be frightful, but your bodily thermogenic modulation can remain delightful, even in subzero temperatures with the help of some physical performance-enhancing Nootropics and clever lifestyle biohacks.
A little bit of cold is actually good for you but chronic exposure to cold weather really wacks your biology.
- Vasoconstriction
- Cognitive decline
- Memory deficit
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Retardation of coordination and motor control
Whether you’re cold weather Olympic athlete, a globe-trotting adventurer, or just a normal guy (or gal) who has to work or deal with freezing temperatures daily these biohacks will make the cold a whole lot more manageable!
Researching this topic from the clinical data and studies to the biohacker reports and discussions between athletes, I keep hearing about one performance enhancer that works well for improving cold tolerance and resistance…
Phenylpiracetam
This is the thermogenic Nootropic and it’s a favorite of professional athletes unable to resist the siren call of performance enhancers, over the years it has caused some scandal in the arena of cold-weather sports, in fact, Olympic Silver medalist Olga Pyleva was disqualified after the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.
It is a banned athletic performance enhancer; a 1999 Korean study found it increased cold resistance and physical endurance.
[This] is a phenyl derivative of nootropil and is effective in increasing physical endurance and cold resistance…
To quote an athlete on Longecity
“I’m an athlete and only take 200 mg and It greatly improves my tolerance to cold during cross country.”
Phenylpiracetam is NOT exactly cheap with a monthly supply running at least 50 euros.
The good news for those who might not be able to comfortably afford that is that the mechanistically and molecularly the most similar drug is Piracetam, which is a lot more affordable!
If Phenylpiracetam is the Lexus of Nootropics, Piracetam is the Toyota. It’s still pretty good but a lot less expensive.
If your work or recreational activities demand a cold tolerance biohack regularly it may be worthwhile to do an A/B experiment with both.
Start with Phenylpiracetam because it’s the most efficacious and then try Piracetam, it might work just as well! Or it might not! Or it might work great thanks to the placebo effect!
You never know until you conduct your own personal self-quantification experiments.
Tyrosine
Supplementing this crucial amino doesn’t have an effect that directly impacts cold tolerance but it effectively prevents the short-term cognitive decline and fatigue resulting from an acute stressor, like shockingly cold weather.
Two human studies demonstrated it as being effective in inoculating participants against cold stress-induced memory deficits. This means that Tyrosine supplementation is a great idea for those whose work or recreational activities entail spending a lot of time in the cold
- Mountaineers, rock climbers, and skiers.
- Cops, soldiers, and public servants who work in the great outdoors.
- Landscaping contractors and construction workers.
It’s a cheap, safe, and effective general-purpose fatigue countermeasure.
Bromantane
In the limited scientific research on Bromantane, there’s no mention of its effect on cold tolerance, but it is a potent physical performance enhancer and it stands to reason that it improves the body’s ability to stay warm.
A couple of anecdotal accounts supporting this effect, a Biohacker in chilly New York reported
…increased body temperature/resistance to cold(in particular); stuff like that. I normally run hot, but this stuff makes me a furnace, and once I get going with a little bit of physical activity, I don’t get cold at all.
A Limitless Mindset reader had added this funny anecdote
And I did take my dog out in the snow in my boxers several times and noticed it’s ability to make me just not be bothered by the cold. I’m sure my neighbors liked that…
A Redditor experienced with Bromantane agreed that it helps desensitize you to cold in extreme climate situations…
Opiates and Opioids
Are well known for producing warming sensations (or perhaps they just numb you to the cold).
One guy on Reddit reported
Opiates will give you a warm glow. When it’s 10 Fahrenheit outside and I’m on a strong dose of opiates I can walk outside in nothing but shorts and no shirt and be warm. On a sober day I’d be freezing at about 35 F bundled up in a sweater.
Not all Opioids will turn you into a raging addict — some are pretty benign — a stimulating white strain of Kratom or the wimpy antidepressant Tianeptine may take the bite out of the cold.
While relatively safe, daily use of these milder Opioids could be problematic, I would recommend episodic dosing — not using more than two or three times a week.
Immune supplementation is crucial to counteract cold temperatures
When it comes to your wintertime well-being, be mindful of your immune system, it’s extra true that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
If you hate getting sick during the winter as much as I do, you’ll want to implement an immune-boosting protocol of…
Siberian Ginseng
Ashwagandha
Rhodiola
Zinc
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
UVB light exposure (aka sunlight)
Probiotic foods
Fasting
…around October 15th or whenever the leaves start turning colors where you live.
If you haven’t properly fortified your immune system and you’re in need of a pound of cure instead here’s a couple of pharmaceutical solutions.
Arbidol
This potent anti-viral drug also addresses the severe acute respiratory deficit that results from cold exposure.
There are over 60 scientific papers on Arbidol’s anti-influenza effect, to quote the most recent
Arbidol, a broad and potent antiviral molecule, incorporates rapidly into membranes.
These data suggest that the potent antiviral effects of Arbidol are mediated at least in part through its membranotropic effects, likely giving place to the formation of perturbed membrane structures. These modifications interfere with proper membrane functioning and should be responsible for its broad antiviral activity.
Amixin
Is an interferon hack for immunity, interferons are proteins essential to immune function. This makes it a powerful treatment and a potential cure for numerous nasty infectious diseases
- Viral Encephalomyelitis
- Pulmonary Tuberculosis
- Viral Hepatitis
- Influenza
- Cytomegalovirus infections
- West Nile Fever
CRYSTAGEN
This is a genetic hack for enhanced immunity, which is particularly helpful to the elderly for treating or preventing
- Chronic inflammatory diseases
- Viral respiratory infections
- Autoimmune diseases
- Cystitis, Pyelonephritis, Prostatitis, and Adnexitis
- Along with recovering from chemotherapy.
VLADONIX
This is peptide immune hack that, according to a clinical study, promotes normalization of cellular immunity parameters, stimulated tissue regeneration processes…
Vladonix is recommended for acceleration of restoration of the immune system functions after the infectious diseases, radiation and chemotherapy, influence on the organism of various extreme factors (including ionizing and UHF-radiation).
Does consuming alcohol warm you up?
Contrary to the folk wisdom your baba (Slavic for grannie) may have imparted to you, alcohol does not warm you up.
It merely moves more blood towards the surface of your skin, temporarily, it actually lowers your core body temperature. You’re better off having a hot tea or coffee.
During the battle of Stalingrad soldiers would pass vehicle antifreeze fluid or industrial grade alcohol through a gas mask filter before drinking it in a desperate attempt to numb themselves to the icy hell they were fighting in…
Really puts the mild discomforts that you have to deal with in perspective doesn’t it?
Acute Thermogenic Shock
Paradoxically, one of the best ways to adapt to the cold is to embrace it and habituate thermogenic discomfort.
A good way to inoculate yourself against cold weather is intentional acute cold thermogenic shock. If you regularly…
Take a 1–2 minute cold shower.
Or
Do ice water face dunks — fill a large bowl with ice-cold water and stick your face in it for as long as you can hold your breath.
Or
Submerge yourself in an ice bath like Wim Hoff.
Your body will get a lot better accustomed to cold stress.
Breathing
How you breathe has a lot to do with how you feel.
In cold, dry weather, exhalation should always be done through the nostrils in order to replenish heat and moisture borrowed from the turbinates on the way in.
And inhalation through the mouth as the warmth of the mouth will warm the air as it travels down into the lungs the book, The Tao of Longevity explains in its exhaustive breathing system.
In 1966, Russia invited Indian prime minister Nehru’s personal guru, Swami Brahmachari, to Moscow to train Soviet cosmonauts in deep-breathing techniques as preparation for prolonged space travel. This fact alone reflects how seriously the Russians take these matters. The swami arrived in Moscow in midwinter wearing nothing but a thin cotton gown, while his hosts shivered on the tarmac in overcoats, fur hats, and woolen scarves. Concerned about the swami’s health, they immediately offered him an overcoat, but he politely declined, saying, “I manufacture my own heat as I need it.” His secret: breath control and cellular respiration. (3298–3302)
The book explains how Cellular respiration generates body heat. This is first felt in the lower abdomen, then spreads slowly to the extremities if you can learn proper 4 stage breath control with momentary breath retentions, which I explain here…
Some other Nootropics and supplements that anecdotally increase cold tolerance
- Rhodiola Rosea — This herb is native to cold weather environments, it makes your nervous system a whole lot more robust and able to respond dynamically to stressors, like the cold.
- Siberian Ginseng — A cheap, effective immunostimulating herbal supplement. It was used by many thousands of factory workers in Siberia during soviet times and significantly decreased sick days.
- Sunifiram — I’m not a big fan of this ostensible Racetam but some people online reported a distinct effect on cold tolerance.
With these Biohacks in your arsenal, you’ll be ready to literally or figuratively venture into the cold unknown in pursuit of glory and immortality, like Sir Ernest Shackleton!
