PHYSIOLOGY

The effects of cold weather on training

Words: Dr Mark Homer

Dr Mark Homer is a senior applied sports scientist with over 12 years’ experience in high performance sport, working with the world leading GB Rowing team at the Beijing, London and Rio Olympic Games.

Here in the Northern Hemisphere, the shortening days are now accompanied by a rather drastic drop in temperature, and clothing choices for early morning sessions have started to change. The rotating of vesttops to avoid tan lines will soon become a problem of the past, as you scramble to find the leggings, long-sleeves and gilets at the back of the wardrobe. The time for hats and gloves is also not far away, and with it comes a significant effect on our ability to exercise and increased risk of cold related injury. This article will explain the various physiological effects of exercising in cold conditions, the limited ways in which our body adapts to it, and what you can do to avoid problems.

While fiddling with the cold metal of a boat at the crack of dawn with increasingly numb fingers might feel pretty uncomfortable, it is not the harshest conditions that athletes experience.

Mountaineering at the top of the world or swimming in Antarctic waters have a far greater effect on our physiology and pose significant risks to our bodies’ systems. There are however differences in the way we respond to ‘normal’ exercise when the temperature is low when compared to ambient and hot conditions.