Abstract
To study relationships between local cold adaptation of the lower limbs and general cold adaptation, eight subjects were submitted both to a cold foot test (CFT, 5°C water immersion, 5 min) and to a whole-body standard cold air test (SCAT, 1°C, 2 h, nude at rest) before and after a local cold acclimation (LCA) of the lower limbs effected by repeated cold water immersions. The LCA induced a local cold adaptation confirmed by higher skin temperatures of the lower limbs during CFT and a hypothermic insulative general cold adaptation (decreased rectal temperature and mean skin temperatureP < 0.05) without a change either in metabolic heat production or in lower limb skin temperatures during SCAT after LCA. It was concluded that local cold adaptation was related to the habituation process confirmed by decreased plasma concentrations of noradrenaline (NA) during LCA (P < 0.05). However, the hypothermic insulative general cold adaptation was unrelated either to local cold adaptation or to the habituation process, because an increased NA during SCAT after LCA (P < 0.05) was observed but was rather related to a “T3 polar syndrome” occurring during LCA.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adams RD, Delong GR (1986) The neuromuscular system and brain. In: Ingbar SH, Braverman LE (eds) Werner's The Thyroid. A fundamental and clinical text (5th edn) Lippincott, Philadelphia, Pa., pp 885–894
Adams T, Smith RE (1962) Effect of chronic local cold exposure on finger temperature responses. J Appl Physiol 17:317–322
Astrand PO, Rodahl K (1977) Textbook of work physiology. MacGraw-Hill, New York, p 507
Azuma KK, Hensley CB, Tang MJ, MacDonough AA (1993) Thyroid hormone specifically regulates skeletal muscle Na+-K−-AT Pase x2 and P2. isoforms. Am J Physiol 265:C 680, C 687
Bittel JHM (1987) Heat debt as an index of cold adaptation in men. J Appl Physiol 62:1627–1634
Bittel JHM, Nonotte-Varly C, Livecchi-Gonnot GH, Savourey GLMJ, Hanniquet AM (1988) Physical fitness and thermoregulatory reactions in a cold environment in men. J Appl Physiol 65:1984–1988
Boutelier C (1973) Exchanges thermiques du corps humain dans l'eau. Thesis, University of Lille, pp 1–215
Boutelier C, Livingstone SD, Bougues L, Reed LD (1982) Thermoregulatory changes to cold in pre-acclimated and non acclimated man following an arctic winter stay. In: Radomski M, Boutelier C, Buguet A (eds) Knoll stoll II. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, pp B1-B19
Brinnel H, Cabanac M (1989) Tympanic temperature is a core temperature in humans. J Therm Biol 14:47–53
Brück K, Baum E, Schennicke HP (1976) Cold adaptative modifications in man induced by repeated short term cold exposures and during a 10 days and night cold exposures. Pflügers Arch 363:125–133
Budd GM, Brotherhood JR, Thomas DW, Beasley FA, Hendrie AL, Jeffery SE, Lincold GJ, Solaga AJ (1993) Cardiovascular and metabolic responses to noradrenaline in men acclimatized to cold baths. Eur J Appl Physiol 67:450–456
Caïzzo VJ, Swoap SS, Tao M, Menzel D, Baldwin KM (1993). Single fiber analysis of type II A myosin heavy chain distribution in hyper- and hypothyroid soleus. Am J Physiol 265:C842-C849
Colin J, Houdas Y (1965) Initiation of sweating in man after abrupt rise in environmental temperature. J Appl. Physiol 20:984–990
Colin J, Timbal J, Guieu JD, Boutelier C, Houdas Y (1970) Combined effects of radiation and convection. In: Hardy JD, Gagge AP, Stolwijk JAD (eds) Physiological behavioral temperature regulation. Thomas, Springfield, Ill., pp 81–86
Hammel HT (1963) Summary of comparative thermal patterns in man. Fed Proc 22:846–847
Hesslink RL, D'Alesandro MM, Armstrong DW, Reed HL (1992) Human cold air habituation is independent of thyroxin and thyrotropin. J Appl Physiol 72:2134–2139
Krog J, Folkow B, Fox RH, Lange Andersen K (1960) Hand circulation in the cold of Lapps and North Norwegian fisher-men. J Appl Physiol 15:654–658
Leblanc J (1975) Man in the cold. Thomas, Springfield, Mass
Leblanc J (1988) Factors affecting cold acclimation and thermogenesis in Man. Med Sci Sports Exerc 20:S193-S196
Leblanc J (1992) Mechanisms of adaptation to cold. Int J Sports Med 13:S169-S172
Lohman TG, Boileau RA, Massey BH (1975) Prediction of lean body mass in young boys from skinfold thickness and body weight. Hum Biol 47:245–262
Lusk G (1928) The elements of the science of nutrition, 4th edn. Saunders, Philadelphia
Nicoloff JT (1986) Physiologic and pathophysiologic implications of hormone binding. In: Ingbar SH, Braverman LE (eds) Werner's The Thyroid. A fundamental and clinical text, 5th edn. Lippincott, Philadelphia, P.a., pp 128–135
Reed HL, Brice D, Shakir KMM, Burman KD, D'Alesandro, MM O'Brian JT (1990) Decreased free fraction of thyroid hormones after prolonged Antarctic residence. J Appl Physicl 69:1467–1472
Rennie DW, Covino BG, Howell BJ, Song SH, Kang BS, Hong SK, (1962) Physical insulation of Korean diving women. J Appl Physiol 17:961–966
Savourey G, Bittel JHM (1994). Cold thermoregulatory changes induced by sleep deprivation in men. Eur J Appl Physiol 69:216–220
Savourey G, Clerc L, Vallerand AL, Leftheriotis G, Mehier H, Bittel JHM (1992a) Blood flow and muscle bio-energetics by31p-NMR after local cold acclimation. Eur J Appl Physiol 64:127–133
Savourey G, Vallerand AL, Bittel JHM (1992b) General and local cold adaptation after a ski journey in a severe arctic environment. Eur J Appl Physiol 64:99–105
Savourey G, Caravel JP, Barnavol B, Bittel JHM (1994). Thyroid hormones changes in a cold air environment after local cold acclimation. J Appl Physiol 76:1963–1967
Skresfelt S, Aarefjord A (1968) Acclimatization to cold in man induced by frequent scuba diving in cold water. J Appl Physiol 24:177–181
Tanche M, Chatonnet J, Satta SO (1962) Influence de la secrétion thyroïdienne sur la marge de thermogénèse d'origine musculaire dans la lutte contre le froid. CR Soc Biol (Paris) 156:872–887
Young AJ, Muza SR, Sawka MN, Gonzalez RR, Pandolf KB (1986) Human thermoregulatory responses to cold air are altered by repeated cold water immersion. J Appl Physiol 60:1542–1548
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Savourey, G., Barnavol, B., Caravel, JP. et al. Hypothermic general cold adaptation induced by local cold acclimation. Europ. J. Appl. Physiol. 73, 237–244 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02425482
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02425482