Polar Vortex

Fed up with the polar vortex? If so, consider this: [Shivering:Shaking] may actually share some of the [benefits:advantages] of exercise - at least in terms of burning fat.[Researchers:Observers] studied shivering in a group of 10 men and women. First the volunteers rested under a temperature-controlled blanket, which dropped from 80 degrees Fahrenheit to a chilly 54. Then they cycled on an [exercise:test] bike.Researchers took blood samples during both activities. Turns out, shivering and exercise spurred muscles to secrete similar amounts of irisin - a hormone that tells brown fat to turn up the furnace-even though exercise took 10 times as much effort.The researchers say the metabolic pathway may have evolved to save us energy. Shivering alone is a costly survival mechanism - it relies on muscle contraction to warm us. Whereas shivering-activated brown fat can convert [chemical:physical] energy directly to heat. The study is in the journal Cell Metabolism.As for your home thermostat? Study author Francesco Celi of the NIH likes to keep his at 68 - low enough to turn on brown fat. And it's a win-win - you'll save money on heat, 'cause you're making your own.