“circleWhen it’s cold outside, a quick ice bath can help you feel better. It’s so cold that the outside situation feels “warm.” It resets my resilience standards. ” said Sean Conway, an extreme endurance athlete who ran in temperatures as low as -10 degrees. But what about a more delicious way to deal with the cold? So, are there actually any benefits to exercising in the cold?
Why is it difficult to exercise in the cold?
The good news is that temperatures in the UK are rarely low enough to lead to frostbite and hypothermia. However, weekly parkruns could be slower, according to a 2014 report. statement From the British Society of Sport and Exercise Science: “Performance in cold weather can be impaired by cooling of nerves, muscles and core body temperature.” same statement It has been suggested that a 0.5°C to 1.5°C drop in body temperature reduces the body’s ability to supply oxygen to working muscles by 10 to 40%.
On the positive side, you are a natural furnace person. “The human engine is about 25% efficient,” says Dr. Michael Kennedy, an associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Sport and Recreation at the University of Alberta in Canada. “Most of the remaining 75% is heat, which is good news for global warming. The bad news is that a significant sweat response means your skin is wetter.” It is much denser and can cause hypothermia if skin and clothing become saturated.
So what should you wear when it’s cold?
In short, it’s a layer. The basic premise is that wearing multiple layers of thin clothing means you can add or remove clothing depending on how hot or cold it gets. “Wear loose-fitting clothing that also needs to be breathable and windproof, but to create thermal air pockets between layers,” says Kennedy. This is especially important when cycling due to the wind chill. For example, if it’s 4 degrees Celsius and you’re driving 16 miles per hour, it feels like -1 degrees Celsius. Driving at 40mph will drop to -12°C. Also wear a base layer made of polyester or merino wool. This is to draw (wick) sweat away from your body onto the outer surface of the fabric.
Other tips include wearing clear sports glasses to reduce discomfort such as eye streaming. “If it’s really cold, apply Vaseline to your lips and nasal passages as well. This will reduce your exposure to the cold,” says Kennedy.
Gloves are a must, but Mike Tipton, professor of human and applied physiology at the University of Portsmouth, recommends mittens because they lose less heat. Balaclavas and snoods are a worthwhile winter investment. “Breathing in cold air can stimulate body temperature receptors.” [nerve endings that sense temperature] “It can affect the upper respiratory system and cause cold-induced bronchoconstriction due to exercise,” Kennedy says. “So cover your mouth and nose. Plus, research shows that maintaining the temperature in your nostrils preserves your ability to fight the virus you inhale.”
As for warming up, “do this indoors. One of your responses to cold is to cut off blood flow to your extremities,” says Tipton. “Once that happens, it’s difficult to open the container again. Walking up and down the stairs for 10 minutes will get the blood flowing, but it won’t cause you to sweat.”
It’s warmed up, what’s next?
By dressing in layers and warming up, you should be able to overcome most physiological hurdles. But what about mechanical things? “Trips and falls increase when it gets cold, but slippery conditions aren’t the only culprit,” Tipton says. “When the muscles and nerves cool, neuromuscular function is impaired and, as a result, incapacity increases. Limbs are particularly affected because of their high surface area-to-mass ratio.”
And don’t forget to drink. During the winter, hydration is often overlooked because the amount of sweat decreases unless you wear thick clothing. “That’s a mistake,” Kennedy says. “For both your hydration status and your lung health, you should continue to drink during exercise. You lose a significant amount of fluid through heavy breathing during exercise in cold air, so normal fluid loss Additionally, you need to stay hydrated.”
There is also empirical evidence that high-intensity efforts in the winter can also be valuable. a 2021 survey in Journal of Applied Physiology They found that hard training at 0°C increased lipid oxidation, and therefore fat burning, by three times compared to hard training at 21°C.
One of the benefits of braving the cold now is that by Christmas you’ll be used to lower temperatures. “We know that from a thermal comfort perspective, the body perceives cold air as a greater stressor at the beginning of winter than it does after winter,” Kennedy said, adding that after 10 days of cold exposure, He added that when exposed, people’s perceptions change and they no longer “feel” the cold. it hurts. Additionally, there is evidence that cold weather naturally prompts us to generate more heat, retain more heat, and increase our metabolism.
Are there additional benefits to exercising in cold weather?
Prominent cold therapy proponent Wim “The Iceman” Hof suggests that frequent exposure to cold temperatures activates a substance called brown fat, which naturally creates a more intense furnace. He credits brown fat with keeping his body warm and allowing him to accomplish cold-weather feats such as climbing Kilimanjaro wearing only shorts. We all have brown fat, but babies can’t shiver, so they have a relatively high proportion of brown fat to keep them warm. This decreases with age.
Professor Kennedy said British Channel Swimming Association swimmers would acclimatize to the cold and, compared to non-acclimated athletes, brown fat activation would result in a significant increase in ‘non-shivering thermogenesis’. .
Tipton is more skeptical about its heat-generating properties. “Brown fat generates very little heat,” he says. “When you’re sitting, you generate 100 watts of heat, which is about the same as a light bulb. For jogging, 1,000 watts is a good rule of thumb, but if you work out hard, that goes up to about 3,000 watts. Brown fat produces about 30 watts of heat. Again, there’s evidence that it’s good for you.” 2020 survey in a diary Atherosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology Cold activities such as winter swimming have been shown to activate brown fat cells and improve cardiovascular health.
What if I’m still afraid of exercising in the cold?
Let’s rethink the way we think about cold situations. “If you think of the cold as your enemy and dress in layers that cover the right parts of your body, you can win the battle against ‘winter fatigue,'” says Kennedy. “Also, especially if it’s windy and wet, I think your body needs five minutes to get used to it. But once you get through the first five minutes, your body temperature and sensory nerves calm down and you’re more comfortable. Or you can do what I sometimes resort to: When I feel unmotivated, I yell at myself to get out the door.
