ArticleEndocrine connections2024
Cold exposure increases circulating fibroblast growth factor 21 in the evening in males and females.
Article in Endocrine connections, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Thermogenic adipose tissue in older adults with obesity: a narrative review of mechanisms, brown fat resistance, and the translational relevance of exercise and nutrition.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Review
- Impact of cold exposure on shift working seafood handlers in Northern Norway: a comparative analysis across work shifts.Journal of occupational medicine and toxicology (London, England) · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objectives: Cold exposure is linked to cardiometabolic benefits. Cold activates brown adipose tissue (BAT), increases energy expenditure, and induces secretion of the hormones fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) and growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15). The cold-induced increase in energy expenditure exhibits a diurnal rhythm in men. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of cold exposure on serum FGF21 and GDF15 levels in humans and whether cold-induced changes in FGF21 and GDF15 levels differ between morning and evening in males and females. Method: In this randomized cross-over study, serum FGF21 and GDF15 levels were measured in healthy lean males (n = 12) and females (n = 12) before, during, and after 90 min of stable cold exposure in the morning (07:45 h) and evening (19:45 h) with a 1-day washout period in between. Results: Cold exposure increased FGF21 levels in the evening compared to the morning both in males (+61% vs -13%; P < 0.001) and in females (+58% vs +8%; P < 0.001). In contrast, cold exposure did not significantly modify serum GDF15 levels, and no diurnal variation was found. Changes in FGF21 and GDF15 levels did not correlate with changes in cold-induced energy expenditure in the morning and evening. Conclusion: Cold exposure increased serum FGF21 levels in the evening, but not in the morning, in both males and females. GDF15 levels were not affected by cold exposure. Thus, this study suggests that the timing of cold exposure may influence cold-induced changes in FGF21 levels but not GDF15 levels and seems to be independent of changes in energy expenditure.
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