Repeated, Short Cold-Water Immersions are Sufficient to Habituate to the Cold, but Do Not Lead to Adaptations During Exercise in Normobaric Hypoxia

Authors

Geoffrey T. Dorsett, California Baptist UniversityFollow
Trevor L. Gillum, California Baptist UniversityFollow

Abstract

Cold and hypoxia naturally exist together, yet it is unknown if habituation to the cold can lead to improved exercise in hypoxia. PURPOSE: To assess the effects of repeated cold-water immersions (CWI) on pulmonary, metabolic, and sympathoadrenal responses to graded exercise in hypoxia. METHODS: 16 (2 female) participants (age: 21.2 ± 1.3 years; body fat: 12.3 ± 7.7 %; body surface area 1.87 ± 0.16 m², VO_2peak: 48.7 ± 7.9 mL/kg/min) underwent 6 CWI in 12.0 ± 1.2° C. Each CWI was 5 minutes, twice daily, separated by ≥4 hours, for 3 consecutive days, during which metabolic data were collected. The day before CWIs began, and the day after they ended, participants ran in normobaric hypoxia (F_IO₂ = 0.135) for 4 minutes at: 25%, 40%, 60%, and 75% of sea level VO_2peak. RESULTS: CWI had no change in VO₂ (p>0.05), but reduced the V_E (CWI #1 – 27.1 ± 17.8 vs CWI #6 – 19.9 ± 12.1 L/min)(pT (CWI #1 – 1.3 ± 0.4 vs CWI #6 – 1.1 ± 0.4 L)(pE:VO₂ (CWI #1 – 53.5 ± 24.1 vs CWI #6 – 41.6 ± 20.5)(pE, V_T, V_E/VO₂) or metabolic (VO₂, SmO₂, SpO₂) variables across all workloads during hypoxic exercise pre-CWI compared to post-CWI. CONCLUSION: CWI habituated participants to cold water, but this did not lead to adaptations during exercise in normobaric hypoxia.

Recommended Citation

Dorsett, Geoffrey T. and Gillum, Trevor L. (2023) "Repeated, Short Cold-Water Immersions are Sufficient to Habituate to the Cold, but Do Not Lead to Adaptations During Exercise in Normobaric Hypoxia," International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 14: Iss. 3, Article 2.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol14/iss3/2