excerising in the cold - lesson 5

Question 1

what are the bodys 3 physiological response to cold weather?

Answer 1

• peripheral vasoconstriction
• shivering
• piloerection

Question 2

what is peripheral vasoconstriction?

Answer 2

Involves the redirection of blood flow, away from the skins surface and towards the body’s core, to help minimise heat transfer from the blood to the cold external environment

Question 3

what is shivering?

Answer 3

Involuntary muscular contractions designed to help increase heat production

Question 4

what is piloerection?

Answer 4

When the hairs on the body stand on end and trap a warm layer of air close to the skin to help keep the skin surface warm

Question 5

describe what happens when you exercise in cold weather

Answer 5

1. body extremities are all areas of high heat loss experiencing peripheral vasoconstriction during cold exposure
2. athletes will use more glycogen and fats due to shivering = glycogen stores deplete earlier = negative impact on performance
3. Cold environments cause dehydration as the body moistens the air as we inhale = fluid lost
4. Cold weather increases chances of injury

Question 6

what is wind chill?

Answer 6

apparent temperature felt on the skin due to the combination of wind and ambient temperature
- wind increases the loss of heat via convection as it constantly removes the layer of warm air around the body and the body cools rapidly.