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Behaviors1 mentions

Cold Water Face Immersion

Put your face into cold water while holding your breath to activate the mammalian dive reflex; lab protocols use about 10 degrees Celsius / 50 degrees Fahrenheit water. Strong safety caveat: do not test breath-holding casually on your own due to blackout and drowning risk; if pursuing free diving, learn from a truly expert instructor under proper conditions.

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And by the way, the mammalian dive reflex can be activated outside of free diving, and you can even do it at home.

huberman · Behaviors That Alter Your Genes to Improve Your Health & Performance | Dr. Melissa Ilardo · May 26, 2025 · 1:01 · open ↗
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