MadSci Network: General Biology
Query:

Re: Can you increase life your life expectancy by sleeping in a colder room?

Date: Wed Feb 17 11:58:30 1999
Posted By: Joshua McElwee, Grad student, Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Washington-Seattle
Area of science: General Biology
ID: 918864006.Gb
Message:

Dax,
  You're question is interesing, and is actually a fairly new topic of 
research.  I can't give any real specifics about what you ask, but I can 
give some general information.  
   The evidence seems to indicated that there is a strong correlation 
between metabolism and lifespan in many animals.  Studies in rodents and in 
C.Elegans indicates that caloric intake (how much food you eat,) regulates 
lifespan in a negative manner.  The more you eat, the lower your life span.  
In fact, by severely limiting caloric intake, or by knocking out the 
insulin receptor pathway in worms, lifespan has been increased by as much 
as 2.5 times the normal lifespan.  
  So...how does this relate to your question, then?  Temperature also can 
regulate metabolism.  The lower the temperature, the slower your 
metabolism.  How much this might actually influence a mammals lifespan, 
though, I'm uncertain.  All of the methods you've described for increasing 
lifespan (moderate drinking, exercise, cold temp, etc.) I don't believe 
actually affect lifespan significantly (except for exercise, and that is 
most likely through caloric reduction due to energy use.)  The data for 
moderate drinking affecting lifespan is controversial and contradictory 
right now.  So, to sum it all up, there is no direct evidence that sleeping 
in a colder room actually affects lifespan.  (The temperature would have to 
be pretty darned cold to actually affect a mammals lifespan.)  Usually, 
temperature effects on metabolism are most effective in cold-blooded 
animals.  Mammals regulate their temperature, and would actually expend 
more energy keeping their body temperature at a normal level while they 
were sleeping in a colder environment.  

  Sorry to not give you anything concrete, but I don't know that it exists.  
-Josh 




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