scholarly journals Human thermoregulatory responses during serial cold-water immersions

1998 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
pp. 204-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
John W. Castellani ◽  
Andrew J. Young ◽  
Michael N. Sawka ◽  
Kent B. Pandolf

This study examined whether serial cold-water immersions over a 10-h period would lead to fatigue of shivering and vasoconstriction. Eight men were immersed (2 h) in 20°C water three times (0700, 1100, and 1500) in 1 day (Repeat). This trial was compared with single immersions (Control) conducted at the same times of day. Before Repeat exposures at 1100 and 1500, rewarming was employed to standardize initial rectal temperature. The following observations were made in the Repeat relative to the Control trial: 1) rectal temperature was lower and heat debt was higher ( P < 0.05) at 1100; 2) metabolic heat production was lower ( P < 0.05) at 1100 and 1500; 3) subjects perceived the Repeat trial as warmer at 1100. These data suggest that repeated cold exposures may impair the ability to maintain normal body temperature because of a blunting of metabolic heat production, perhaps reflecting a fatigue mechanism. An alternative explanation is that shivering habituation develops rapidly during serially repeated cold exposures.

1959 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 296-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Bianca

1. Three calves were individually exposed in a climatic room to an environment of 45° C. dry-bulb and 28° C. wet-bulb temperature for 21 successive days up to 5 hr. each day.2. In the 21-day period, mostly during the first half of it, the following changes in the physiological reactions of the animals were observed: progressive reductions in rectal temperature, in heart rate and in respiratory rate with a change of breathing from a laboured to a less laboured type.3. It was suggested that a decrease in metabolic heat production might play a part in the observed acclimatization.


1959 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 305-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Bianca

1. Three calves were exposed in a climatic room to an environment of 40° C. dry-bulb and 38° C. wet-bulb temperature for up to 110 min. each day for 1-2 weeks.2. These exposures produced progressive changes in the physiological reactions of the animals to heat:(a) Rectal temperature and skin temperature (for a given time of exposure) declined. In consequence there was a marked increase in the tolerance time, i.e. in the time for which the animals could withstand the hot environment before reaching a rectal temperature of 42° C.(b) Respiratory rate rose earlier and assumed higher levels (for given levels of body temperature).(c) Heart rate decreased markedly.3. These changes are discussed in relation to heat loss and heat production and have been interpreted as reflecting chiefly a reduction in the metabolic heat production of the animals.


1979 ◽  
Vol 57 (12) ◽  
pp. 1401-1406 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. T. Lin ◽  
Andi Chandra ◽  
T. C. Fung

The effects of both systemic and central administration of phentolamine on the thermoregulatory functions of conscious rats to various ambient temperatures were assessed. Injection of phentolamine intraperitoneally or into a lateral cerebral ventricle both produced a dose-dependent fall in rectal temperature at room temperature and below it. At a cold environmental temperature (8 °C) the hypothermia in response to phentolamine was due to a decrease in metabolic heat production, but at room temperature (22 °C) the hypothermia was due to cutaneous vasodilatation (as indicated by an increase in foot and tail skin temperatures) and decreased metabolic heat production. There were no changes in respiratory evaporative heat loss. However, in the hot environment (30 °C), phentolamine administration produced no changes in rectal temperature or other thermoregulatory responses. A central component of action is indicated by the fact that a much smaller intraventricular dose of phentolamine was required to exert the same effect as intraperitoneal injection. The data indicate that phentolamine decreases heat production and (or) increases heat loss which leads to hypothermia, probably via central nervous system actions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (96) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rima Solianik ◽  
Albertas Skurvydas ◽  
Marius Brazaitis

Background. There is evidence of greater whole body cooling induced unpredictable task switching and memory deterioration in men than in women; however, it is not known how whole body cooling affects attention stability. This study aimed at identifying if there are any gender-specific differences in the effect of cold water immersion-induced stress on attention stability.Methods. Thirteen men and thirteen women were exposed to acute cold stress by immersion in 14°C water until rectal temperature reached 35.5°C or for a maximum of 170 min. Thermoregulatory response (i.e. changes of body temperature and metabolic heat production) and attention stability response (i.e. Schulte table (less cognitively demanding task) and Schulte-Gorbov table (more cognitively demanding task)) were monitored.Results. During cold stress, body temperature variables decreased (p < .05) and did not differ between genders. Metabolic  heat  production  was  greater  (p  <  .05)  in  men  than  in  women.  Body  cooling  significantly  increased  (p < .05) the duration of Schulte table performance for both genders, whereas an increase (p < .05) of the duration of Schulte-Gorbov table performance was observed only in men. Conclusion. This is the first study to find the evidence supporting the idea of gender-specific and task-dependent attention stability response after whole body cooling. Whole body cooling induced stress had similar influence on simple attention stability task in men and women, whereas more complex task was adversely affected only in men. This greater men’s decrement of complex task performance can be associated with their greater catecholamines-induced metabolic heat production.Keywords: men, women, cognitive performance, metabolic heat production, shivering.


1984 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. A. DEGEN ◽  
B. A. YOUNG

Four steers were used in a 4 × 4 latin-square-designed study that consisted of four 14-day periods and four water treatments. Once daily for 30 min, the steers were offered either snow, crushed ice, cold water (CW) near 0 °C or warm water (WW near 30 °C. These restricted water sources were offered 18 h after feeding to maximize possible thermal stress due to ingestion of the cold or frozen water. The snow and ice treatments reduced water intakes, rumen volume and dry matter of rumen contents. The maximum increment in metabolic heat production was observed with the ice treatment, 278% of preingestion metabolic rate, and this treatment also elevated metabolic rate for the longest time (182.5 min). The total increment in heat production by the steers was approximately 50% of the heat energy required to melt the snow or ice and raise the resultant water to body temperature. Minimal rumen temperatures were observed earlier than minimal rectal temperatures with the ice treatment resulting in the largest decrease in both rumen (16.5 °C) and rectal (1.4 °C) temperature. When offered choices of pairs of all combinations of snow, ice, CW and WW, the steers showed no preference for either the CW or WW. They preferred liquid water but would consume snow or ice when no liquid water was available. It was concluded that steers can tolerate thermal stress resulting from rapid ingestion of snow and ice drawing approximately equally from body heat and from increased metabolic heat production to compensate for the latent heat and heat of warming water. Key words: Cold water, heat balance, thermal stress, cattle, snow


1976 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
WW Weathers ◽  
DC Schoenbaechler

The standard metabolic rate of budgerygahs, determined during October and November, was 30% lower at night (1.96 ml O2 g-1 h-1) than during the day (2.55 ml O2 g-1h-1 ). The zone of thermal neutrality extended from 29 to 41�C. At ambient temperatures (Ta) below 29�C, oxygen consumption [V(02)] increased with decreasing Ta according to the relation V(02) (ml O2 g-1 h-1) = 5.65 - 0.127Ta. At Ta's between 0 and 16�C, body temperature (Tb) averaged 37.7�C (which is low by avian standards) and was independent of Ta. Above 20�C, Tb increased with increasing Ta, and within the zone of thermal neutrality Tb increased by approximately 4�C. The relation between V(O2) and Tb within the zone of thermal neutrality is described by the equation V(O2 = 6.29 - 0.105 Tb. This ability to decrease metabolic heat production while Tb rises could contribute to the water economy of budgerygahs. At moderate Ta's the rate of evaporative water loss of budgerygahs is only 60% that predicted for a 31 g bird. At Ta's below 14�C budgerygahs can balance evaporative water loss with metabolic water production. At 45�C Tb was between 1.0 and 5.0�C below Ta, and evaporative cooling accounted for up to 156% of metabolic heat production. At high Ta's budgerygahs appear to augment evaporation by lingual flutter.


Author(s):  
Daryl M G Hurrie ◽  
Emily Hildebrand ◽  
Scott M Arnould ◽  
Jeremy Plett ◽  
Daniel Bellan ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Victims of severe hypothermia require external rewarming, as self-rewarming through shivering heat production is either minimal or absent. The US Military commonly uses forced-air warming in field hospitals, but these systems require significant power (600–800 W) and are not portable. This study compared the rewarming effectiveness of an electric resistive heating pad system (requiring 80 W) to forced-air rewarming on cold subjects in whom shivering was pharmacologically inhibited. Materials and Methods Shivering was inhibited by intravenous meperidine (1.5 mg/kg), administered during the last 10 min of cold-water immersion. Subjects then exited from the cold water, were dried and lay on a rescue bag for 120 min in one of the following conditions: spontaneous rewarming only (rescue bag closed); electric resistive heating pads (EHP) wrapped from the anterior to posterior torso (rescue bag closed); or, forced-air warming (FAW) over the anterior surface of the body (rescue bag left open and cotton blanket draped over warming blanket). Supplemental meperidine (to a maximum cumulative dose of 3.3 mg/kg) was administered as required during rewarming to suppress shivering. Results Six healthy subjects (3 m, 3 f) were cooled on three different occasions, each in 8°C water to an average nadir core temperature of 34.4 ± 0.6°C (including afterdrop). There were no significant differences between core rewarming rates (spontaneous; 0.6 ± 0.3, FAW; 0.7 ± 0.2, RHP; 0.6 ± 0.2°C/h) or post-cooling afterdrop (spontaneous; 1.9 ± 0.4, FAW; 1.9 ± 0.3, RHP; 1.6 ± 0.2°C) in any of the 3 conditions. There were also no significant differences between metabolic heat production (S; 74 ± 20, FAW; 66 ± 12, RHP; 63 ± 9 W). Total heat gain was greater with FAW (36 W gain) than EHP (13 W gain) and spontaneous (13 W loss) warming (p < 0.005). Conclusions Total heat gain was greater in FAW than both EHP, and spontaneous rewarming conditions, however, there were no observed differences found in rewarming rates, post-cooling afterdrop or metabolic heat production. The electric heat pad system provided similar rewarming performance to a forced-air warming system commonly used in US military field hospitals for hypothermic patients. A battery-powered version of this system would not only relieve pressure on the field hospital power supply but could also potentially allow extending use to locations closer to the field of operations and during transport. Such a system could be studied in larger groups in prospective trials on colder patients.


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