Abstract
The purpose of this study was to measure thermal and metabolic responses of six marathon runners and six long-distance ocean swimmers during a standard cold tolerance test, and to compare the results. The two groups of lean endurance athletes lived in Hawaii and were matched on the basis of age, height, weight, and skinfold thickness. Maximal oxygen uptake, however, was significantly higher in the runners (66.5 versus 58.8 ml/(kg·min) for the swimmers). There were no significant differences in maximal tissue insulation or the derived nonfat insulation, although the runners tended to have higher values. Our findings suggest a possible hypothermic insulative adaptation in the runners and, therefore, indirectly support a recent hypothesis that marathon training may potentiate cross-adaptation to cold. Reasons for a relatively high nonfat insulation in the runners (0.098 (°C.m2)/W) are unknown, but seem related to a vascular mechanism.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
ADAMS, W. C., FOX, R. H., FRY, A. J., and MAC DONALD, I. C. (1975): Thermoregulation during marathon running in cool, moderate, and hot environments. J. appl. Physiol., 38: 1030–1037.
BAUM, E., BRÜCK, K., and SCHWENNICKE, H. P. (1976): Adaptive modifications in the thermoregulatory system of long-distance runners. J. appl. Physiol., 40: 404–410.
BUSKIRK, E. R. and KOLLIAS, J. (1969): Total body metabolism in the cold. Bull. N. J. Acad. Sci., Special Symposium Issue.
COSTILL, D. C., BOWERS, R., and KAMMER, W. F. (1970: Skinfold estimates of body fat among marathon runners. Med. Sci. Sports, 2: 93–95.
COSTILL, D. C. and WINROW, E. (1970): Maximal oxygen intake among marathon runners. Arch. Phys. Med. Rehab., 51: 317–320.
HAMMEL, H. T. (1964): Terrestrial animals in cold: recent studies of primitive man. In: Adaptation to the Environment (D. B. Dill, E. F. Adolph and C. G. Wilber (ed.). Handbook of Physiology. Section 4, Washington, D.C. Amer. Physiol. Society, 413–434.
HANNA, J. M. and HONG, S. K. (1972): Critical water temperature and effective insulation in scuba divers in Hawaii. J. appl. Physiol., 33: 770–773.
HOLMÉR, I. and BERGH, U. (1974): Metabolic and thermal responses to swimming at various water temperatures. J. appl. Physiol., 37: 702–705.
HOLMÉR, I., LUNDIN, A., and ERICKSSON, B. O. (1974): Maximum oxygen uptake during swimming and running by elite swimmers. J. appl. Physiol., 36: 711–714.
HONG, S. K. (1973): Pattern of cold adaptation in women divers in Korea (ama). Fed. Proc., 32: 1614–1622.
JOHNSON, J. M., NIEDERBERGER, M., ROWELL, L. B., EISMAN, M. M. and BRENGELMANN, G. L. (1973): Competition between cutaneous vasodilator and vasoconstrictor reflexes in man. J. appl. Physiol., 35: 798–803.
KOLLIAS, J. BOILEAU, R., and BUSKIRK, E. R. (1972): Effects of physical conditioning in man on thermal responses to cold air. Int. J. Biometeor., 16: 389–402.
MACDOUGALL, J. D., REDDAN, W. G., LAYTON, C. R., and DEMPSEY, J. A. (1974): Effects of metabolic hyperthermia on performance during heavy prolonged exercise. J. appl. Physiol., 36: 538–544.
MAGEL, J. R. and FAULKNER, J. A. (1967): Maximum oxygen uptakes of college swimmers. J. appl. Physiol., 22: 929–938.
NADEL, E. R., HOLMÉR, I., BERGH, U., ÅSTRAND, P. O., and STOLWIJK, J. A. J. (1974a): Energy exchanges of swimming man. J. appl. Physiol., 36: 465–471.
NADEL, E. R., PANDOLF, K. B., ROBERTS, M. F., and STOLWIJK, J. A. J. (1974b): Mechanisms of thermal acclimation to exercise and heat. J. appl. Physiol., 37: 515–520.
PUGH, L. G. C. E. and EDHOLM, D. G. (1955): The physiology of channei swimmers. Lancet, 2: 761–767.
RENNIE, D. W., COVINO, B. G., HOWELL, B. J., SONG, S. H., KANG, B. S., and HONG, S. K. (1962): Physical insulation of Korean diving women. J. appl. Physiol., 17: 961–966.
ROBINSON, S. and SOMERS, A. (1971): Temperature regulation in swimming. J. Physiol. (Paris), 63: 406–409.
ROWELL, L. B. (1974): Human cardiovascular adjustments to exercise and thermal stress. Physiol. Rev., 54: 75–159.
SALTIN, B. and ÅSTRAND, P. O. (1967): Maximal oxygen uptake in athletes. J. appl. Physiol., 23: 353–358.
SMITH, R. M. and HANNA, J. M. (1975): Skinfolds and resting heat loss in cold air and water: temperature equivalence. J. appl. Physiol., 39: 93–102.
STRYDOM, N. B., WYNDHAM, C. H., WILLIAMS, C. G., MORRISON, J. F., BREDELL, G. A. G., BENADE, A. J. S., and VON RAHDEN, M. (1966): Acclimatization to humid heat and the role of physical conditioning. J. appl. Physiol., 31: 636–642.
WYNDHAM, C. H. (1973): The physiology of exercise under heat stress. Ann. Rev. Physiol., 35: 193–220.
TAYLOR, H. L., BUSKIRK, E. R., and HENSCHEL, A. (1955): Maximal oxygen uptake as an objective measure of cardio-respiratory performance. J. appl. Physiol., 8: 73–80.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dressendorfer, R.H., Smith, R.M., Baker, D.G. et al. Cold tolerance of long-distance runners and swimmers in Hawaii. Int J Biometeorol 21, 51–63 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01552966
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01552966