Exercising in Cold Environments

If the body's core temperature drops below normal, its ability to regulate its temperature can become impaired or lost. This condition is called hypothermia. It develops because the body cannot produce heat as fast as it's losing it. This can lead to death. The chance of a soldier becoimg hypothermic is a major threat any time he is exposed to the cold. Some symptoms of hypothermia are shivering, loss of judgement, slurred speech, drowsiness, and muscle weakness. Hypothermia develops when the body cannot produce heat as fast as it is losing it.

During exercise in the cold, people usually produce enough heat to maintain normal body temperature. As they fatigue, however, they slow down and their bodies produce less heat. Also, people often overdress for exercise in the cold. This makes the body sweat. The sweat dampens the clothing next to the skin making it a good conductor of heat. The combination of decreased heat production and increased heat loss can cause a rapid onset of hypothermia.

FOSTBITE

Frosbite is the freezing of body tissue. It commonly occurs in body parts located away from the core and exposed to the cold such as the nose, ears, feet, hands, and skin. Severe cases of frostbite may require amputation.

Factors the lead to frostbite are cold temeratures combined with windy conditions. The wind has a great cooling effect because it causes rapid convective heat transfer from the body. For a given temperature, the higher the wind speed, the greater the cooling effect.

A person's movement through the air creates an effect similar to that caused by wind. Riding a bike at 15- mph is the same as standing in a 15-mph wind. If, in addition, there is a 5-mph headwind, the overall effect is the equivalent to a 20-mph wind. Therefore, an exercising soldier must be very cautious to avoid getting frostbite. Covering exposed parts of the body will substantially reduce the risks.

DEHYDRATION

Dehydration can result from losing body fluids faster than they are replaced. Cold environments are often dry, and water may be limited. As a result, soldiers may in time become dehydrated. While operating in extremely cold climates, trainers should check the body weights of the soldiers regularly and encourage them to drink liquids whenever possible.

- An article from the Web