Responses to sudden cold-water immersion in inexperienced swimmers following training
Croft JL, Button C, Hodge K, Lucas SJ, Barwood MJ, Cotter JD
Aviation, space, and environmental medicine · 12 citations
Review labels
Neutral facts our review recorded about how this study was done. They describe method, never whether we like the result.
How it was studied
- Design
- Controlled clinical trial (indexed by PubMed)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Funding not disclosed
Publication
- Published
- 2013-07-19 · Aviat Space Environ Med · vol. 84 · issue 8 · pp. 850–855
- Publisher
- Aerospace Medical Association
- Cited
- 20 citations · more than 76% of similar papers · 1.0× the field average
- References
- 0 works
- Access
- Paywalled
- Research areas
- Thermoregulation and physiological responses · Exercise and Physiological Responses · Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
- Keywords
- Hyperventilation, Habituation, Medicine, Anesthesia, Physical medicine and rehabilitation, Physical therapy, Psychology, Audiology
- MeSH
- brain, humans, blood flow velocity, immersion, adaptation, psychological, adaptation, physiological, swimming, female, male, cold temperature, young adult, respiratory rate
6 authors
From NZ, GB
- James L. CroftUniversity of Otago
- Chris Button
- Ken P. Hodge
- Samuel J. E. Lucas
- Martin James BarwoodUniversity of Portsmouth
- James David Cotter
Abstract
Background
When suddenly immersed in cold water, humans typically exhibit the cold shock response, although training can attenuate hyperventilation. This study extends previous findings by considering the influence of physical activity to maintain buoyancy and subsequent swimming performance.
Methods
Six inexperienced swimmers (three men and three women; mean age 22.8) received 1 wk of cold-water head-out immersions (10 x 3 min at 15 degrees C) alongside mental skills training to improve their treading water technique and to control hyperventilation upon immersion. Six inexperienced control swimmers (four men and two women; mean age 21.8) received immersions in temperate water (27 degrees C). Ventilation, brain blood flow velocity, and blood oxygenation were measured during a physiological test in which participants trod water for 150 s. In a subsequent simulated survival test, performance (swimming duration and distance) and perception of effort were recorded. All the tests were in 10 degrees C water with the head out.
Results
There were significant improvements in the intervention group's ability to suppress rapid increases in respiratory frequency; 62 +/- 24 breaths x min(-1) to 33 +/- 12. The drop in brain blood flow was smaller and more transient than that previously reported due to the hypertensive response associated with treading water.
Discussion
Inexperienced swimmers could benefit from cold-water habituation combined with mental skills training in order to improve voluntary control over the respiratory portion of the cold shock response as part of learning to tread water. This may improve survival prospects in a real-life emergency scenario such as an overturned boat.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher.
Community trust
Loading…
How much do you trust this study's findings?
Comments
Sign in to rate, comment on or flag this study.Sign inSomething wrong here?
Flag this study if its information, labels or funding look wrong. An editor reviews every flag.
Sign in to rate, comment on or flag this study.Sign inEducational information about published research. Not medical advice, and not a recommendation to start or stop anything.