Video·3 min read·May 2026

Harnessing Cold: Insights from Tuvan Pastoralists on Energy and Resilience

Cold Therapy • 3 min read • Based on research by Adam J. Sellers, Dolaana Khovalyg, Guy Plasqui, Wouter van Marken Lichtenbelt (2022)

Imagine stepping outside into a world where the air bites at your skin, and the ground crunches underfoot with frost. For many of us, this scenario is a fleeting moment of winter wonder, but for Tuvan nomadic pastoralists in Siberia, this is a way of life. Living in extreme cold conditions, these resilient individuals have much to teach us about the interplay of cold exposure, energy expenditure, and overall wellness.

A recent study revealed that the daily energy expenditure of Tuvan pastoralists is significantly higher than what we might expect. This research not only sheds light on their remarkable lifestyle but also offers insights that can inform our own wellness rituals, particularly those involving contrast therapy, sauna use, and cold exposure.

The Science of Cold-Induced Energy Expenditure

In the study conducted by Sellers et al., researchers measured the total energy expenditure (TEE) of Tuvan pastoralists living in harsh winter conditions. They found that these individuals expend an average of 13.49 megajoules (MJ) per day, equivalent to about 3,224 kilocalories. This is a striking 17% higher than what would be predicted based solely on body mass and a remarkable 31% higher when adjusted for fat-free mass.

So, what contributes to this increased energy expenditure? The answer lies in two main mechanisms: cold exposure and physical activity. When exposed to cold, our bodies engage in a process called cold-induced thermogenesis, which boosts energy expenditure. This means that even when at rest, the body works harder to maintain its core temperature, leading to higher energy demands.

Physical Activity: The Companion of Cold

In addition to cold exposure, the Tuvan pastoralists are notably active, averaging 609 minutes of physical activity each day. This combination of high physical activity and cold exposure creates a unique synergy, amplifying their overall energy expenditure. Engaging in physical activity in cold environments can significantly increase oxygen consumption, further enhancing energy metabolism.

For those of us exploring contrast therapy or cold exposure, this finding emphasizes the importance of integrating movement into our routines. Whether it’s a brisk walk in the cold air or a sauna session followed by a cold plunge, the benefits of combining physical activity with temperature variation can be profound.

Implications for Wellness Practices

The implications of this research extend beyond the Tuvan lifestyle. Understanding how cold exposure can enhance energy metabolism has practical benefits for our own wellness protocols. Cold therapy, whether through ice baths or cold showers, can become a powerful tool in our quest for resilience and metabolic health.

Moreover, as we cultivate our own rituals surrounding temperature, it’s essential to consider our surroundings and lifestyle. As the study suggests, our environment, including temperature, plays a crucial role in energy expenditure. By embracing cold exposure mindfully, we can elevate our wellness practices and foster a deeper connection with our bodies’ natural rhythms.

Key Takeaways

Cold exposure significantly increases energy expenditure through mechanisms like cold-induced thermogenesis.
Combining physical activity with cold exposure enhances metabolic health and resilience.
Incorporating cold therapy into your wellness rituals can lead to improved energy metabolism.

Based on: High daily energy expenditure of Tuvan nomadic pastoralists living in an extreme cold environment
Adam J. Sellers, Dolaana Khovalyg, Guy Plasqui, Wouter van Marken Lichtenbelt (2022). Scientific Reports

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High daily energy expenditure of Tuvan nomadic pastoralists living in an

What the Body Actually Does in the Cold

There's a persistent assumption in nutritional science that thermoregulation costs are negligible — that the energy your body spends maintaining core temperature in cold environments is basically rounding error. This paper, quietly published in Scientific Reports in 2022, dismantles that assumption with real data from real people living in one of the harshest environments on Earth.

Twelve Tuvan pastoralists in south-central Siberia. Outdoor temperatures averaging negative 27 degrees Celsius. Nearly five hours per day exposed to below-freezing air. And total daily energy expenditure running 31% higher than what their body composition alone would predict. That's not rounding error. That's a significant metabolic cost that standard prediction models simply don't account for.

Cold Plus Movement Is a Different Animal

What makes this study particularly interesting is the interaction effect. Cold exposure increases energy expenditure. Physical activity increases energy expenditure. But cold combined with physical activity isn't simply additive — it creates a compounding metabolic demand that laboratory studies keep finding and free-living studies rarely measure. Walking in cold air increases oxygen consumption by 25% compared to walking in thermoneutral conditions at low intensity. These Tuvan herders were doing nine to ten hours of physical activity per day, much of it outdoors in brutal winter conditions. The combination is extraordinary.

It also challenges the narrative around traditional versus modern populations. The prevailing assumption has been that obesity in developed countries stems partly from lower physical activity energy expenditure. But the Hadza hunter-gatherers — one of the most studied traditional populations — actually show similar total energy expenditure to western populations when corrected for body size. What's different about the Tuvans isn't just activity. It's the thermal environment.

The assumption that thermoregulatory energy costs are negligible in free-living humans needs to be reconsidered. These pastoralists are living proof that the cold is metabolically expensive — and that the body, given consistent exposure, rises to meet that demand.

Where the Research Agrees — and Where It Gets Complicated

The cold thermogenesis literature broadly supports what this paper found. Mild cold exposure for 24 hours increases energy expenditure by 6–7%. Shivering acutely can spike resting oxygen consumption nearly fivefold. Brown adipose tissue activation in cold-adapted individuals adds another layer of metabolic output. The mechanisms are well-established. What's less clear is how much of the Tuvan elevation comes from cold-induced thermogenesis specifically versus the extraordinary activity load. The researchers couldn't fully disentangle them — and that's an honest limitation worth acknowledging.

The Practical Read

For anyone building a contrast therapy or cold exposure protocol, this paper offers a grounding perspective. Controlled cold exposure in a clinical or wellness setting — a few minutes in a cold plunge, a series of contrast cycles — is a far cry from five hours daily at negative 27 degrees. But the underlying biology is the same. Your body expends energy to maintain thermal equilibrium. That expenditure is real, it's measurable, and it scales with exposure duration and intensity.

The protocol implication is simple: cold exposure works best when it's consistent and when it's paired with movement. Not necessarily simultaneously — contrast therapy and exercise can be sequenced — but the combination over time builds the kind of metabolic resilience these pastoralists demonstrate across a lifetime.

The Surprising Connection

What strikes me most isn't the caloric math. It's the yurt. Indoor temperatures ranging from negative 7 to positive 43 degrees Celsius over the course of a single day — depending on whether the stove was burning. These people weren't in a controlled environment. They were oscillating between cold stress and warmth, repeatedly, every day. That pattern of thermal variation is precisely what contrast therapy replicates in a structured setting. The Tuvans weren't doing contrast therapy. They were just living. And their metabolic profiles show exactly what we'd expect from decades of deliberate temperature cycling. Biology doesn't care about intention. It responds to the signal.

High daily energy expenditure of Tuvan nomadic pastoralists living in an extreme cold environment

Harnessing Cold: Insights from Tuvan Pastoralists on Energy and Resilience

The Science of Cold-Induced Energy Expenditure

Physical Activity: The Companion of Cold

Implications for Wellness Practices

Key Takeaways

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