The Star Tribune reported Monday that researchers from Rockefeller University’s Cohen Laboratory of Molecular Metabolism are studying so-called brown fat that generates heat in cold conditions in humans.

They’re currently investigating possible links between controlled exposure to cold such as ice water dips or cold showers and improved health.

Right now they’re investigating blood biomarkers of brown fat, a type of fat that generates heat, in young New Yorkers using cooling vests.

The researchers want to validate the study in a larger group of people, so starting this summer they’ll collect blood from a group of 70 people who dip themselves in Lake Harriet at least twice a week for a month in winter. The researchers hope to compare molecules in their blood during the summer and winter months as well as their responses to anxiety, stress and depression.

The Minneapolis Park Board allows people to swim in lakes Harriet or Cedar during the winter if they apply for a permit and sign a waiver. Data from the waiver system indicates about 1,000 people have taken dips in the lakes since December 2021.