MadSci Network: General Biology |
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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