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Hot Tips for Cold Weather |
by: Jeff Erickson, MPT, VP Sports Physical
Therapy
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The winter season is here and with this comes
new sports (skiing, ice skating, sled riding) and activities (shoveling
snow). Since our ability to adapt to prolonged cold exposure is much
less than our adaptability to heat exposure, performing these activities in
cold weather places greater stress on the body. Understanding why this
happens can help you to prevent problems from occurring so you can enjoy the
winter season and continue exercising even in the cold.
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Conserving body heat is the
name of the game |
The body is always losing heat because heat
transfers from the body to the environment, so the colder the environment,
the more excessive the heat loss will be. Blood vessel constriction
occurs to conserve core body temperature and shivering works to increase
body heat in extreme cold.
1. Blood vessel constriction will
decrease blood flow to the extremities (arms, legs, fingers, toes) making
them susceptible to frostbite. Muscle strain may also occur because in
order to function properly, muscles need to be warm and without normal or
increased blood flow, they will become cold, tight, and will strain easily.
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2. Shivering
of the muscles will occur in an effort to increase blood flow to
ultimately produce more body heat. Shivering is observed at rest as
well as during exercise and will cause oxygen consumption to be
proportionately higher than when the same exercise is performed at a warmer
temperature. Thus, fatigue will occur much quicker when performing
activities in the cold.
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Dehydration is
also
a problem |
It is a well known fact that dehydration can
happen in extreme heat due to water loss through perspiration.
However, it is just as much of a problem when exercising in extreme cold.
In this instance, greater water loss occurs not only through perspiration
(sweating), but also through expiration (exhaling). This is because as
air enters the body, it needs to be warmed and the colder it is, the more
your body has to work to accomplish this, which results in expelling
"humidified" air when breathing out. You can compare it to an air
conditioning unit- it's the same process in reverse, however water is a
product of both. Anyone who has seen a window AC unit when it's
extremely hot knows that a large puddle of water will collect under it.
The hotter it is, the more water will be produced and the same goes for
humans- the colder it is, the more water will be expelled when breathing.
The mouth will become dry, the throat will burn, and the respiratory
passages will become irritated, and dehydration will eventually occur.
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Something
else
to
keep
in
mind |
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Interestingly enough, a person with a higher
body fat percentage will be better off than one with a lower percentage.
This actually is in line with the fact that the more body heat you conserve
the longer you can tolerate the cold. The extra body fat (subcutaneous
fat) will act as insulation and will preserve body heat longer.
This is why mammals living in the Tundra have very high body fat- think
polar bears and walruses. In light of this, many of the following tips
for staying warm in the cold are related to clothing that will preserve body
heat. |
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Click on the following links for specific
tips on how to stay warm during these activities. |
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Exercising in the Cold |
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Snow Shoveling |
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