Social Physiology: Human homeostasis is more efficient in social proximity

Physiological homeostasis is traditionally viewed as an individual process optimized through evolution to minimize the energetic costs of regulation. However, it remains unknown whether social proximity enhances the efficiency of homeostatic regulation, including in systems not traditionally viewed as socially sensitive. Glucose metabolism is one such system. In a set of preregistered experiments, we found that glucose homeostasis following a carbohydrate challenge is more efficient in a Social condition than an Alone condition, exhibiting lower perturbation amplitude and faster recovery (n = 108). The social benefit in homeostasis replicated in thermoregulation during a cold challenge (n = 116) and in sympathetic regulation during stress in adults (n = 115) and infants (n = 56). These findings demonstrate Social Physiology, a cross-domain principle whereby physiological homeostasis is more efficient in social proximity. Evolutionarily, Social Physiology reveals a psychobiological benefit of sociality, beyond its behavioral and ecological advantages, that may contribute to the emergence and maintenance of social bonds.