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Physiological responses to a cold, wet, and windy environment during prolonged intermittent walking
A S Weller1, C E Millard, M A Stroud
1Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Nottingham Medical School, Queen's Medical Centre, United Kingdom.
The American Journal of Physiology
|January 1, 1997
Summary
Body cooling during prolonged walking exercise can negatively impact thermoregulation and metabolism. Cold conditions reduced rectal temperature and altered metabolic responses, potentially proving detrimental during extended physical activity.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Environmental Physiology
- Human Thermoregulation
Background:
- The effects of body cooling on physiological responses during prolonged walking are not well-established.
- Understanding these responses is crucial for optimizing exercise in cold environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of a cold environment on thermoregulatory and metabolic responses during a 6-hour intermittent walking protocol.
- To compare responses between thermoneutral and cold conditions.
Main Methods:
- Ten men participated in a 6-hour intermittent walking protocol under thermoneutral (+15°C) and cold (+5°C), wet, windy conditions.
- Exercise intensity was varied, with higher intensity in the initial two periods and lower intensity thereafter.
Main Results:
- In the cold, rectal temperature was lower, while oxygen consumption, respiratory exchange ratio, plasma norepinephrine and epinephrine, blood lactate, and glucose were higher compared to thermoneutral conditions.
- These effects were observed during the lower intensity exercise periods, not during the higher intensity periods.
Conclusions:
- During prolonged walking in the cold, heat production may be insufficient to counteract heat loss.
- Reduced rectal temperature and altered metabolic state in the cold could be detrimental to performance and safety during extended exercise.