eric,
wow, thank-you for sharing your protocol. the results are compelling to say the least. i find your observations regarding the dive response very interesting as well. i am so excited at the prospect of added cold water tolerance i will have to conduct experiments of my own over the winter.
i would love to hear physiological hypotheses for these various results and observations as many questions come to mind. for example, given the described "extreme vasoconstricton", how did your hands not freeze? is this similar to how seal's limbs stay warm? additionally, how is a more pronounced dive response happening in conjunction with the increased basal metabolism caused by the various supplements (many of which have strong stimulating effects on the system)?
this may shed new light on the mechanisms of the dive response, given your findings hold true and this protocol results in a stronger effect. for example, an emphasis on slowing the metabolism pre-dive may be less important than other factors. anyway cue eric, seb murat, or other physiology experts to provide some insight.
this is not my area of expertise but i am interested in finding other studies regarding so-called hepatic thermogenesis and related subject matter; however, perhaps because of the novelty of the approach, there seems to be somewhat of a dirth of studies.
the following links are not meant to be exhaustive on the subject, so if you find other interesting ones please share and post links.
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tungstate
a number of recent studies report the effectiveness of a substance called tungstate as a thermogenic agent. the findings indicate this substance may be well suited to our purposes when it becomes available. i also found a patent application so expect tungstate supplements to be hitting the market sooner rather than later.
Tungstate decreases weight gain and adiposity in obese rats through increased thermogenesis and lipid oxidation.
full version
http://endo.endojournals.org/cgi/rapidpdf/en.2005-0385v1.pdf
Target identification of the novel antiobesity agent tungstate in adipose tissue from obese rats.
Integration of DIGE and bioinformatics analyses re...[Mol Cell Proteomics. 2007] - PubMed Result
...there are other tungstate articles available as well...
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the following article is from the same author in the paper eric posted above (M.F. McCarty), who is focused on what he describes as the "hepatothermic therapy of obesity". similarly, it is another hypotheses paper so no new experimental data is presented but it does discuss glucomannan as potentially beneficial in optimizing the liver's capacity for fat oxidation. glucomannan happens to be the primary component of shirataki noodles, which are perhaps useful additions to eric's afformentioned pre-dive thermogenic supplement regime.
Glucomannan minimizes the postprandial insulin sur...[Med Hypotheses. 2002] - PubMed Result
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirataki_noodles"]Shirataki noodles - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]
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this abstract provides a reasonably overview of some thermogenic nutrients and associated physiological processes:
Hepatothermic therapy of obesity: rationale and an inventory of resources.
McCarty MF.
Med Hypotheses. 2001 Sep;57(3):324-36.
Pantox Laboratories, San Diego, California 92109, USA.
Hepatothermic therapy (HT) of obesity is rooted in the observation that the liver has substantial capacities for both fatty acid oxidation and for thermogenesis. When hepatic fatty acid oxidation is optimized, the newly available free energy may be able to drive hepatic thermogenesis, such that respiratory quotient declines while basal metabolic rate increases, a circumstance evidently favorable for fat loss. Effective implementation of HT may require activation of carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1 (rate-limiting for fatty acid beta-oxidation), an increase in mitochondrial oxaloacetate production (required for optimal Krebs cycle activity), and up-regulation of hepatic thermogenic pathways. The possible utility of various natural agents and drugs for achieving these objectives is discussed. Potential components of HT regimens include EPA-rich fish oil, sesamin, hydroxycitrate, pantethine, L-carnitine, pyruvate, aspartate, chromium, coenzyme Q10, green tea polyphenols, conjugated linoleic acids, DHEA derivatives, cilostazol, diazoxide, and fibrate drugs. Aerobic exercise training and very-low-fat, low-glycemic-index, high-protein or vegan food choices may help to establish the hormonal environment conducive to effective HT. High-dose biotin and/or metformin may help to prevent an excessive increase in hepatic glucose output. Since many of the agents contemplated as components of HT regimens are nutritional or food-derived compounds likely to be health protective, HT is envisioned as an on-going lifestyle rather than as a temporary 'quick fix'. Initial clinical efforts to evaluate the potential of HT are now in progress. Copyright 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.
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for interest sake only, this is the product that McCarty created and currently the only one i am aware that contains all three of hydroxycitrate, L-carnitine, and pyruvate. it is comparitavely expensive but has most of the thermogenic supplements described above in one source (plus others). using this pre-mixed version might however, prove confounding for our purposes given the differing nutrient profile and additional ingredients compared to eric's approach (and McCarty's protocol used in the original informal pilot study).
cheers and may you always be warm in a sea of cold
,
sean
