Abstract
To test whether adding insulation to the arms would improve cold water swimming performance by delaying swimming failure (SF). Novice (n = 7) and expert (n = 8) swimmers, clothed and equipped with a personal flotation device, each performed two trials in a swimming flume filled with 10°C water. During free swimming (FS), subjects performed swimming until failure, followed by the Heat Escape Lessening Posture. In free swimming with additional insulation (FSA), subjects wore custom-fitted armbands. Trials ended when rectal temperature decreased to 34°C or after 2 h of immersion. Measurements included: rectal and skin temperatures, heat flow, and various appraisals of swimming performance. FSA was thermally advantageous versus FS. Rectal temperature cooling rates during swimming (dT/dt Swim) were faster for FS compared to FSA (0.050 ± 0.007°C min−1 vs. 0.042 ± 0.006°C min−1, P < 0.01). Armbands maintained arm skin temperature about 10°C warmer, for approximately 70 min (P < 0.001). Although additional insulation did not greatly improve physical performances, video analysis showed that swimming technique in FSA was maintained 10–15% better than in FS between minutes 30 and 50 (P < 0.001). SF was achieved in 5/30 trials, with increases in stroke rate (6.6 str min−1) and decreases in stroke length (0.24 m str−1) observed. In this simulation of cold water swimming survival, equipping subjects with neoprene armbands appears to have partially preserved muscle function, but with unimpressive effects on overall performance. SF is a complex entity, but is evidently related to both triceps skinfold and arm girth.
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Acknowledgments
We would like to acknowledge the expert technical support provided by Robert Limmer, Debbie Kerrigan-Brown, Ingrid Smith, Allan Keefe, Jan Pope, Doug Bell, Dr. Tom McLellan, and Dr. Peter Tikuisis. This study was jointly funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC).
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Lounsbury, D.S., DuCharme, M.B. Arm insulation and swimming in cold water. Eur J Appl Physiol 104, 159–174 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-008-0690-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-008-0690-1