Well, as brown fat is important to help warm us up when we are cold, it may not be that surprising then that shivering seems to stimulate the transformation of white into brown fat. Another study has shown that we may be able to change white fat cells into cells closely resembling brown fat by exercise too; yet another reason to keep active.
In this latest study, men who were either in normal temperatures or exposed to mild cold for eight hours were studied, looking at their metabolism (energy-burning) and their blood sugar and insulin levels as a reflection of their diabetes risk.
Researchers found that, when exposed to mild cold, brown fat increased energy expenditure, burning calories, and blood sugar was also regulated more effectively - reaching the risks of diabetes.
There is some evidence, too, that our poor diet may be contributing to a reduction in our brown fat, which could be slowing down our metabolism.
Exercise is good as it may boost our brown fat as well as having multiple other benefits. So while the calorie burn of exercise may not be that great at the time, if we develop a higher level of brown fat then we increase our fat-burning capability long-term – even when we’re sitting still!