Thecold responseIt is more complex than we think, according to a study conducted by the Institute of Neurological Sciences of the University of Oregon (OHSU). When temperatures drop, a specialized system ofneurons of ourbrainit measures the levels of cold through the skin and decides at what exact moment we should start shivering.
“Shivering is a way ofproduce heat in skeletal muscleswhich requires a lot of energy, and is usually the last strategy the body uses to maintain its internal temperature in a very cold environment, “explains Kazuhiro Nakamura, co-author of the study published in the journalNature Neurosciencein its latest edition. According to the researcher, there are other strategies to defend ourselves from low temperatures, such as reducing heat loss by limiting blood flow through the skin, which makes us“pale” with cold.
Shivering is one of the many bodily functions (homeostáticas) that the brain regulates automatically without involving our conscious thinking. Other examples are adjusting your breathing rate, heart rate, or blood pressure. That is why Nakamura and his team are convinced that they have made a fundamental scientific discovery “that increases our knowledge about one of the many functions that ourbrains monitorconstantly tokeep us alive“However, they recall, there are situations such as hypothermia, hyperthermia, or even the decreased ability to respond to changes in temperature as we age, that require further study.
