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Koroška 8000 Himalayan expedition: digit responses to cold stress following ascent to Broadpeak (Pakistan, 8051 m)

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European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Cold-induced vasodilatation (CIVD) is a peripheral blood flow response, observed in both the hands and feet. Exercise has been shown to enhance the response, specifically by increasing mean skin temperatures (Tsk), in part due to the increased number of CIVD waves. In contrast, hypobaric hypoxia has been suggested to impair digit skin temperature responses, particularly during subsequent hand rewarming following the cold stimulus. This study examined the combined effect of exercise and hypobaric hypoxia on the CIVD response. We compared the CIVD responses in the digits of both the hands and feet of a team of alpinists (N = 5) before and after a 35-day Himalayan expedition to Broadpeak, Pakistan (8051 m).

Methods

Five elite alpinists participated in hand and foot cold water immersion tests 20 days before and immediately upon return from their expedition.

Results

The alpinists summited successfully without supplemental oxygen. Post-expedition, all alpinists demonstrated higher minimum Tsk in their hands (pre: 9.9 ± 1.1, post: 10.1 ± 0.7 °C, p = 0.031). Four alpinists had either greater CIVD waves, and, consequently, higher mean Tsk in their hands, or higher recovery temperatures (pre: 26.0 ± 5.5 °C post: 31.0 ± 4.1 °C, p = 0.052), or faster rewarming rate (pre: 2.6 ± 0.5 °C min−1 post: 3.1 ± 0.4 °C min−1,p = 0.052). In the feet, the responses varied: 1/5 had higher wave amplitudes and 1/5 had higher passive recovery temperatures, whereas 3/5 had lower mean toe temperatures during cold exposure.

Conclusions

The results of the cold stress test suggest after a 35-day Himalayan expedition, alpinists experienced a slight cold adaptation of the hands, but not the feet.

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Abbreviations

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

CIVD:

Cold-induced vasodilatation

AUC:

Area under the curve

T sk :

Skin temperature

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Acknowledgements

The authors express their gratitude to the dedicated alpinists who altruistically took part in this study.

Funding

No external funding was used for this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. St. John of God Hospital, Spitalgasse 26, 9300, St. Veit/Glan, Austria

    Jurij Gorjanc

  2. Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Primorska, Polje 42, 6310, Izola, Slovenia

    Shawnda A. Morrison

  3. Department of Automation, Biocybernetics and Robotics, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Adam C. McDonnell & Igor B. Mekjavic

  4. Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada

    Igor B. Mekjavic

Authors
  1. Jurij Gorjanc
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  2. Shawnda A. Morrison
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  3. Adam C. McDonnell
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  4. Igor B. Mekjavic
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Contributions

JG, SAM, ACM, and IBM contributed to the conception and design of the work; JG, SAM, and ACM contributed to data acquisition; JG, SAM, ACM, and IBM contributed to the analysis and interpretation of the work; JG and SAM drafted the manuscript; JG, SAM, ACM, and IBM revised it critically, and approved the final submitted version.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jurij Gorjanc.

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No conflict of interest is declared.

Additional information

Communicated by George Havenith.

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Gorjanc, J., Morrison, S.A., McDonnell, A.C. et al. Koroška 8000 Himalayan expedition: digit responses to cold stress following ascent to Broadpeak (Pakistan, 8051 m). Eur J Appl Physiol 118, 1589–1597 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-018-3890-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-018-3890-3

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