Mike Tipton, professor of human and applied physiology at the University of Portsmouth, says: “People who start out warm and then quickly start exercising at a sufficient intensity to raise their body temperature are less likely to experience cold problems.” says. He says problems are more likely to occur when people become exhausted or injured in cold environments and stop producing heat.
How much cooling is required to cool the body to at least a dangerous level? Depends on multiple factors, temperature, clothing, wind, exercise intensity, etc. Proper clothing and adequate warm-up are important for both performance and safety. Most importantly, experts say, don't take your safety for granted.
of American College of Sports Medicine If temperatures are below -8 degrees Fahrenheit, people are advised to “avoid exercise if possible.” And runners need to be extremely careful. Low temperatures increase the risk of breathing difficulties, some experts If the thermometer drops below 5 degrees, it is recommended to refrain from aerobic or endurance training.
Professor Martin Blucher, from the Faculty of Sports Sciences at the University of Innsbruck, said: “All sports that are performed at cold ambient temperatures, such as skiing, walking, running or team sports, can lead to a risk of injury if appropriate protective clothing is not worn.'' ”. .
The human body is designed to maintain central organ and brain function in cold environments, not to optimize athletic performance. One of the body's adaptationsshivering (small contractions of muscles to generate heat) reduces muscle function.
“Shivering uses up the muscles needed for exercise and uses them as heaters, which increases oxygen demand for low-intensity exercise,” says Tipton. More intense exercise can reduce shaking, but colder muscles reduce blood flow and reduce maximum aerobic capacity.
“For a given amount of exercise, if you're shaking on top of your exercise, you're consuming more oxygen, which changes the economy and efficiency of your exercise,” Tipton says.
And the decline is significant.according to 2021 American College of Sports Medicine Expert Consensus Statement When exercising in cold weather, each 1.8°F drop in muscle temperature reduces aerobic capacity, exercise time, power, or sprinting capacity by 4-6%.
But the metabolic changes caused by the cold mean that short workouts can cause big effects. Mainly because the body tries to generate heat. fat overall calorie consumption increase.
You can also learn how to avoid cold weather.
“In fact, there is little evidence that the kinds of impairments we see in terms of neuromuscular function, muscle efficiency, and economics are adaptive to repeated cold exposure,” Tipton says. “But adapting, like knowing what level of clothing to wear depending on what you're doing, and understanding the early signs of physical impairment, means not just pushing through. , which means you need to stop and get out of that environment.''
Typical cold-weather exercise clothing consists of three layers. The inner layer that touches the skin is less likely to absorb moisture, instead transferring it to the outer layer where it evaporates. The middle layer provides the primary insulation. And the outer layer repels wind and rain.
Don't forget that frostbite is also a possibility. Therefore, wear a face covering to protect vulnerable parts of your body (fingers, toes, extremities) and to prevent airway and lung irritation in sub-zero temperatures. “The main considerations when dressing for exercise in cold weather are to protect vulnerable areas of skin from frostbite and to plan for adjusting clothing layers.” The authors of a 2022 paper on performance and injury prevention in cold climates wrote:.
of follow the signs It means your body is too cold.
· Numbness or loss of sensation in the skin.
· Clumsiness or poor coordination.
· Chess pressure, wheezing.
Remember to add or remove layers based on temperature and workout intensity level to prevent overheating and sweating. People often start exercising wearing outerwear that is more suited for rest than activity, which can lead to sweating and chills once they start moving.
・Avoid layering with cotton materials, which are hygroscopic and hard to dry.
·To wear Face coverings to prevent airway and lung inflammation in sub-zero temperatures
And think about footwear. Roads, sidewalks, and running trails can be very slippery and can be very fast, so it's important to wear shoes with good traction.
