FATIGUE REDUCES ABILITY TO DEFEND AGAINST COLD

Tikuisis, P., Keefe, A. A., & Inoue, A. (1999). The effect of exercise-induced fatigue on response to cold exposure: A case study. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 31(5), Supplement abstract 891.

An ultra-endurance athlete cycled 511 km (20.6 hours). Fluids and food were consumed during the exercise. One hour after completion, S was immersed up to the neck in water at 22 degrees Celsius until his temperature reached 35.5 degrees. The immersion was repeated several weeks later while in a rested state.

In fatigue, the temperature drop took 27 minutes but in the control condition was 70 minutes.

Implication. Extensive fatigue reduces the ability to defend against body cooling.

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